Natural antimicrobial materials for use in food packaging

Consumer demand for fresh-like, sustainable, minimally processed, and clean label food products has been increasing significantly. However, removing chemical preservative and additives from food products significantly reduces their shelf life. To address this challenge, antimicrobial active packaging systems which contain materials within or on the packaging that actively inhibit food spoilage microorganisms can be used to extend the shelf life of food products. This book chapter aims to review several of the most effective natural antimicrobials including; plant essential oils, antimicrobial polysaccharides, organic acids and bacteriocins and also aims to review the extrinsic and intrinsic factors that affect their antimicrobial activity, their mode of antimicrobial activity and the application of these natural antimicrobials as coatings either directly or indirectly on food products. Furthermore, this review will also summarise commercially available active packaging products and novel surface modification techniques that can be used to develop antimicrobial active packaging systems using natural antimicrobials.