Microbial Characteristics of Grated Fresh Carrrot in Polypropylene Film Containing Nano Bentonite during Storage

Food packaging is one of the main applications of nanotechnology in the food section. Nanotechnology hopes to achieve food packaging safety and maintenance capabilities of healthy food.In this study, the effect of packaging film containing nano clay particles on microbial characteristics ofgrated fresh carrots was investigated. The effect of nano clay particles (1 and 3 percent) and time were studied on E. coli, mold-yeast and psychrotrophic in three replications in completely randomizeddesign. 150 gr grated fresh carrots were packed in polypropylen (control samples) and polypropylenecontaining 1 and 3 percent nano clay hydrophilic bentonite under modified atmosphere packaging. All samples were stored at 4 ± 1 °C. Microbial population (Escherichia coli O157:H7, mold-yeast andpsychrotrophic bacteria) was determined at 3-5 day intervals. Peroxyacetic acid, modified atmosphere packaging and nano bentonite packaging treatment at 4°C resulted in 0.405 and 0.194 log CFU/g reductions in E. coli O157:H7 population in the samples packed in film containing 1 and 3 percentnano bentonite compared with control samples during 15 days of storage, respectively. Resultshighlighted that in samples packaged in nano bentonite polypropylene psychrotrophic cell loads remained always below the selected microbial threshold. Packages containing clay nanoparticles significantly reduced the mold-yeast population during storage (p<0.01).

Keywords:

Grated carrots , Nano clay , Escherichia coli O157:H7