Antibacterial food packaging paper can extend the shelf life of food

According to a recent report by US technology website CNET.com, Israeli chemists have successfully developed an antimicrobial, special-coated wrapping paper using silver nanoparticles that can be used to extend the shelf life of foods.

The Journal of the American Chemical Society’s “Langmuer” published an article on January 21, stating that chemists at the University of Baylane in Israel announced that they have developed and successfully tested coatings with silver nanoparticles. Silver nanoparticles penetrate into the paper one micron to form a stable coating. The thickness of this coating is approximately one in five hundred thousandth of human hair, and it can kill bacteria such as Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus.

Researcher Aharon Gedanken said that colloidal silver has been widely used as an antimicrobial agent, and the innovation of their team's research is the process of depositing silver nanoparticles on paper to form antibacterial properties. The team used ultrasonic degradation to control the thickness of the silver coating and the size of the silver nanoparticles to attach the nanoparticles to the paper surface. This coating has high stability and strong adhesion. This technology is unique in that it can prevent the nanoparticles embedded in the paper from being washed away.

Now, the team is working to get the technology certified by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Jedanken said that using the paper as a food package can extend the time that food is stored in the store. Perhaps one day, humans can reduce or even eliminate the need to use radiation, heat treatment or cryogenic storage methods to preserve foods.