posted on 2023-11-20, 19:38authored bySubhash Pawde, Sachin R. Chaudhari, Pichan Prabhasankar, Rajeshwar S. Matche
Enclosed packaging often incorporates oxygen scavengers
and absorbers,
which aid in eliminating the presence of oxygen within the package.
Most of the commercially available scavengers are rather limited due
to lower scavenging capacity and being chemically based (safety issues)
and need a specific condition for their activation. In the present
study, a natural rubber (NR) based oxygen scavenger is reported, catalyzed
by magnesium stearate (Mg-St), a food-grade ingredient. The NR with
a catalyst was impregnated on silica and subsequently packed in the
form of a sachet. To the best of our knowledge, the proposed formulation
exhibits the highest scavenging capacity (98.7 ± 6 cm3/g). The scavenging was understood through spectroscopy techniques
such as FTIR and NMR, which confirmed the oxidation of the NR. Importantly,
the optimized oxygen scavenger maintains consistent performance across
humidity levels from 11 to 92% and temperatures of 4, 27, and 45 °C,
making it a reliable solution for effective oxygen removal in diverse
environments. With its high oxygen-scavenging capabilities and ecofriendly
nature, the developed oxygen-scavenging sachet can be a sustainable
option for any type of oxygen-sensitive products. Thus, it holds tremendous
potential and has high expectations for the packaging industry. The
study demonstrated the applicability on fatty food samples such as
fresh cheese curd. The application prolonged fresh cheese curd’s
shelf life from 4 to 9 days, underscoring its efficacy in maintaining
the freshness of fatty food.