Special Guard
Times
Food Processing Journal finds out more about a packaging technology
that inhibits microbial growth in perishable food items
Professionals
working in commercial food preparation facilities are constantly looking
for ways to help maintain the quality and extend the shelf life of food
products that they prepare and hold.
MicrobeGuard, the leading provider of antimicrobial paper products,
has recently announced that its Food Touch® paper liners will feature
AgION® antimicrobial technology. AgION’s technology is based
on naturally occurring silver, which inhibits the growth of microorganisms
such as bacteria, mold and fungus. Food Touch paper liners are specifically
designed for food storage applications, and have been shown to extend
the shelf life of perishable food products such as fish. “Our customers
include leading restaurants, luxury hotels and food processors around
the world, and they are very aware of the need to try to keep food fresher
in processing and storage environments,” said Tony Salemi, President
of MicrobeGuard. “We selected AgION for our Food Touch food liners,
because it is proven to be effective against a wide range of bacteria,
mold and fungi and is among one of the few antimicrobials registered
as safe for human and food contact. The feedback we have received from
our customers, which include many expert chefs, is that Food Touch liners
have helped to extend the shelf life of perishable food items by up
to five days,” he added. Food storage environments face the constant
challenge of keeping food fresh for extended periods of time.
The AgION antimicrobial technology is incorporated into the Food Touch
liners and allows for continuous release of silver ions at the surface
of the paper when exposed to moisture. This creates a continuous protective
environment to inhibit the growth of micro-organisms. The patented AgION
antimicrobial technology is designed to last throughout the life of
the product, and users have reported that the food liners increase the
shelf life of their products. The MicrobeGuard products are sold throughout
the world via direct sales and distributors. “In food storage applications,
microbial growth can compromise the quality of the food, and can potentially
have a significant impact on food service providers from both a financial
and safety standpoint. Lab tests have demonstrated that AgION’s
technology is used effectively against a wide range of bacteria and
fungi and naturally inhibits microbial growth in food contact applications,”
said Ginger Merritt, VP of Worldwide Marketing at AgION Technologies,
Inc.
AgION’s
antimicrobial technology has been proven effective against a broad range
of micro-organisms, including bacteria, algae, and fungus such as mold
and yeast, yet is safe enough for human and food contact. The company
also offers a disinfectant and virucide, AgION SilverClene24™,
which has been proven effective against a variety of bacteria and viruses
including HIV-1, Rhinovirus, E-coli, Salmonella, and Poliovirus. AgION’s
antimicrobial technology has broad regulatory approval in all regions
of the world, including US, Canada and Europe. The silverbased technology
has been approved for food and water contact by the Environmental Protection
Agency and is listed as an indirect food contact substance with the
Food and Drug Administration.
