NaY-Ag Zeolite Chitosan Coating Kraft Paper Applied as Ethylene Scavenger Packaging

Cellulosic packaging containing an active and sustainable coating can prolong the shelf-life of cherry tomatoes, maintaining the nutritional composition and physical integrity. A new and sustainable active material packaging was developed based on the silver-impregnated-zeolite incorporation into chitosan Kraft paper coating. Zeolite (NaY) was modified by cation exchange with silver ion (NaY-Ag) and incorporated into a chitosan filmogenic matrix, forming an active coating on the Kraft paper surface. The active coating paper formulation was defined using an experimental design 2(2) + central points with independent variables: chitosan concentration (1-2%, w/w) and NaY-Ag zeolite concentration (0.2-1.2% w/w). The efficiency of the ethylene scavenger active packaging material was evaluated by packing a perishable fruit (cherry tomato) and conditioning it for 30 days at 25 +/- 2 degrees C. The cherry tomatoes conditioned in active coating paper presented a weight loss reduction of 29% and maintenance of the texture associated with the adsorption capacity of ethylene gas. After 30 days of storage, the a* color parameter increased by 39%, compared to fruits packed in uncoated packages, which increased the a* values by 79%, indicating a slower rate of ripening of cherry tomatoes packed in the active silver-impregnated zeolite NaY chitosan coating on Kraft paper material. The active packaging systems developed showed a tendency to reduce the ripening rate of the fruit, controlling the ethylene concentration in the headspace, and also could contribute to minimizing the impact that synthetic polymer coatings have on paper degradation, presenting a sustainable characteristic.