Oxygen Scavenging Film Based on Enzyme Catalytic Active Material as Adhesive, 2001 European PLC Conference Proceedings

Paavo Lehtonen--The oxygen scavenging film discussed in this paper eliminates the ingress of oxygen from atmospheric air through an outside barrier film and scavenges oxygen residues from the headspace of a package. The use of active oxygen scavenging material as adhesive between laminate layers allows selection of barrier and oxygen permeable films from a wide range of alternatives. Manufacturers can apply their best technologies and meet the special requirements of each application when designing the construction of a film laminate. Regulatory processes concerning the use of a film product for direct contact with food are straightforward. The manufacturing technology of enzyme based oxygen scavenging films has been tested on factory scale and product properties have been examined and evaluated. Commercial production with the current technology can be carried out without significant investments. The product is transparent and can be heat-sealed through the adhesive layer. However, the bond strength between the barrier and permeable films is quite weak and further development will be expected. The scavenging capacity of the product is proportional to the thickness of the adhesive layer. The capacity that has been reached is significant but still marginal concerning many conceivable applications. In order to find wide use e.g. for food applications it would be very desirable to improve the oxygen scavenging capacity 1.5 - 3 fold. This could be achieved by using enzyme systems of higher volumetric capacity. By evaluating over 150 enzymes several more efficient systems have been identified.