Photocatalytic effects on the quality of pork packed in the package combined with TiO_2 coated nonwoven fabrics

摘要

The ability of titanium dioxide (TiO2) to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) offers new opportunity to decontaminate perishable foods. The current study was aimed to prepare a TiO2 coated nonwoven fabric photocatalytic package (TiO2/NWF package) and assess the effects of in-package photocatalysis on pork. In this study, layer by layer self-assembly method was chosen to coat TiO2 nanoparticles on the NWF and eight layers TiO2 loading showed the higher photoactivity. A selected TiO2/NWF composite was combined with a package to form TiO2/NWF package. Pork was stored in the TiO2/NWF package, the antibacterial effects of TiO2 photocatalysis (TPC) on total viable count and Escherichia coli in pork were achieved. TPC treatment provided better antibacterial efficiency as compared with UV treatment alone. Moreover, TPC treatment significantly (p.05) influenced pH and lipid oxidation after exposure for 45min. These results indicate that TiO2/NWF package has the potential for preserving fresh foods.Practical applicationsTraditional thermal treatment can adversely affect the sensory and nutritional quality of foods, titanium dioxide (TiO2) photocatalysis as a nonthermal disinfection technology can provide a low cost and convenient approach to reduce the risk of microbial contamination and enhance the safety of fresh products. The current study developed a TiO2 coated nonwoven fabric photocatalytic package (TiO2/NWF package) and evaluated effects of in-package photocatalysis on pork samples. Results showed that photocatalytic reactions took place in the TiO2/NWF package and the generated active ROS contributed to the inactivation of microbes. Therefore, TiO2 photocatalysis has great potential for ensuring food safety for the food industry.