Development of Advanced Multilayer Films for Microwave Assisted Pasteurization System (MAPS)

Kanishka Bhuniaa, Shyam S. Sablania, Juming Tanga, Frank Liua Barbara Rascob
a Biological Systems Engineering, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-6120, U.S.A
b School of Food Science, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-6376
Abstract

Results and discussions

Very
first
study
with
Microwave-assisted
pasteurization system (MAPS) that evaluates
performance of the three newly developed advanced
multilayer films

Temperature, C

Decreased barrier properties can be attributed to the

plasticization due to absorbed water
Absorbed water also altered dielectric properties of
films

80

40
20

50

60

70

4
2

b c

0
Film A
Film

Film B

Hot water

0.02

MAPS

Film A

Film B

Film C

Reason
Structural changes of hydrophobic PET
Plasticization of hydrophilic Nylon &
Longer processing time of MAPS
Control

Hot water
MAPS

Final remarks

Both processes affected barrier properties of films

Fragmented crystal structure and plasticization both were responsible for
decreased barrier properties
Films are suitable for MAPS process

Film A

Film B

Based on current results, a PET based structure for packaging film is better for
MAPS process

Film C

X-ray diffraction
PP

PET

800
Intensity, counts

How thermal processing influences polymer morphology ?

b b

0.00

Control
Hot water
MAPS

Film A
PE

400
200
0
5

21.1
23
24
43.5
44.3
38.5
38.5
33.8
40.6

0.01

600

49
53
52
58
55
60
50
51
54

b b

Dielectric loss
ab

Overall
Melting enthalpy,
crystallinity (%)
J/g of film

Film C

0.03

Structure
PET/barrier PET/tie/PE
PET/tie/Nylon-PP
PET/LLDPE/LDPE/tie/Nylon/tie/LLD
PE/LDPE

Treatment Full width at half Crystal size,

maximum of
A
barrier layer peak
Control
1.203
69
Hot water
1.269
65
MAPS
1.266
65
Control
1.304
63
Hot water
1.216
67
MAPS
1.220
67
Control
1.168
71
Hot water
1.297
63
MAPS
1.244
66

Increase in Crystallinity : chemi-crystallization process

Fragmented crystal structure and reduction in crystal size may explain the increase in the
OTR and WVTR of pasteurized films.

b b

Percentage increase in OTR

Hot water
MAPS
114
57
1000
1600
161
243

A
B
C

Materials and methods

Control

Investigate underlying phenomenon in terms of

crystallinity, thermal and dielectric properties and
correlate them with gas barrier properties

X-ray diffraction, DSC, dielectric properties

30
40
Time, min

15

25
2, degree

35

800
Intensity, counts

Develop a advanced low-barrier multilayer packaging

structure for microwave-assisted pasteurization
system (MAPS)
Investigate the influence of MAPS on gas barrier
properties of three multilayer polymeric films

Oxygen transmission rate (OTR) and Water vapor

transmission rate (WVTR)

20

Control
Hot water
MAPS

Dielctric loss,

OTR, cc/m2-day

Objective

MAPS

10

WVTR, gm/m2-day

10

Reduced gas barrier properties of packaging films can

impart certain degree of quality degradation of
refrigerated meals

Hot water pasteurization

F90 = 10 min
Hot water pasteurization: 36 min
MAPS: 52 min

Barrier properties of polymeric films

MAPS can affect the barrier properties of packaging

films that further depends on structure of films and
location of barrier layer(s) within the structure

Lid film for 10-ounce trays

Conventional-Food

Introduction

Film
Film A
Film B
Film C

MAPS-Food

We recommend using a multilayer film with PET as

barrier layer for MAPS

Unlike sterilization, performance and behavior of low

barrier packaging under MAPS is still need to be
investigated

60

Increase in OTR and WVTR can also be attributed to

the fragmented crystal structures and smaller crystal
size observed in X-ray diffraction

MAPS requires in-package food and the packaging

must be transparent to microwave radiation

Film

Time-temperature profile

100

Oxygen (OTR) and water vapor transmission rate

(WVTR) significantly increased after both hot water
pasteurization and MAPS

Crystal size of barrier layer & overall crystallinity of films

Nylon

Film B

600

Control
Hot water
MAPS

PET

400

References
Halim, L., Pascall, M. A., Lee, J., & Finnigan, B. (2009). Effect of pasteurization, high-pressure
processing, and retorting on the barrier properties of nylon 6, nylon 6/ethylene vinyl alcohol,
and nylon 6/nanocomposites films. Journal of Food Science, 74(1), N9N15
Dhawan, S., Varney, C., Barbosa-Canovas, G. V., Tang, J., Selim, F., & Sablani, S. S. (2014b).
Pressure-assisted thermal sterilization effects on gas barrier, morphological, and free volume
properties of multilayer EVOH films. Journal of Food Engineering, 128, 40-45.

PP
PP

200

Acknowledgements

0
5

15

25
2, degree

35

USDA-NIFA Food Safety Grant #2011-68003-20096

Bemis-Curwood, Neenah, Wisconsin, Cryovac-Sealed Air, NJ, and Shields Bag and Printing,
Yakima, WA