Though the potential for degradation and adulteration of food products exists, through the use of active packaging and specifically oxygen scavengers, these negative effects are delayed and minimized, which can result in an increased shelf life. Many options are available in the oxygen scavenging arena. Depending upon the application, one might choose from an array of materials and forms ranging from the sachet to the clear lidstock of Cryovac's OS1000.
In addition, more natural options exist as in the case of enzymatic oxygen scavengers. The potential safety and financial benefits that oxygen scavengers lend to a product line make it a viable alternative to traditional and standard packaging applications. Moreover, because it is still considered an emerging technology, much remains to be learned about its potential application in other food industries and systems to further utilize its advantages.
Currently sachets are the main source of oxygen scavenging technology. However, through emerging polymer and film technology, film is moving to the forefront of oxygen scavenging applications.
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