Article pubs.acs.org/JAFC
Development and Characterization of Silver-Based Antimicrobial Ethylene−Vinyl Alcohol Copolymer (EVOH) Films for Food-Packaging Applications † ́ Antonio Martınez-Abad, Jose M. Lagaron,† and Maria J. Ocio*,†,§ †
Novel Materials and Nanotechnology Group, IATA-CSIC, Avenida Agustin Escardino 7, 46980 Paterna (Valencia), Spain Departamento Medicina Preventiva, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de Valencia, Vicente Andrés Estellés s/n, 46100 Burjassot (Valencia), Spain
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ABSTRACT: The use of silver as an antimicrobial in the food area has raised wide interest in recent years. In the present work, 0.001−10 wt % silver ions was satisfactorily incorporated into an ethylene−vinyl alcohol (EVOH) copolymer matrix by a solvent casting technique. The antibacterial efficacy of the composite was evaluated under laboratory conditions and in contact with some foods. The ionic compound did not affect the crystallinity or the water-induced plasticization of the materials and was homogeneously distributed across the surface and thickness of the films. When immersed in water, sorption-induced release of 50−100% of the silver ions took place in
