The study carried out demonstrates that the concept of free radical
scavenger to protect the food versus oxidation processes is a real
issue. Catechins, known as efficient antioxidants because of their capacity
as free radical scavengers,were incorporated in the adhesive used for
building the laminates, in indirect contact with the food in a multilayer
structure. The new multilayer material demonstrated its good antioxidant
performance in the objective measurements of radical scavenging
method. Food (peanuts and cereals covered by chocolate) was
protected for a long term period (16 months of testing) under atmospheric
pressure, in the presence of oxygen. This means that free radicals
cross the polymeric layer, diffuse through the polymer and arrive
at the catechins position,where they are trapped and consumed. In contrast,
catechins did not migrate to the food, what means that they were
grafted into the adhesive formulation and act fromthere as efficient antioxidants/
free radical scavengers. The complete absence of migration
indicates that catechins do not diffuse through the polymer. As result,
sensory analysis demonstrated that the packaged food was not affected
by GTE, but it was well protected against oxidation, significantly reducing
the rancidity and this way extending the shelf life of packaged food.
These facts open the window for a different concept of food protection
under the frame of active packaging. As a whole, the results obtained
confirm the good performance of the multilayer active component
application with real food during a long-term experiment.