Oxygen scavenging enzymes in coatings - Effect of coating procedures on enzyme activity

The oxygen content in food packaging may be reduced by attaching oxygen scavengers to the packaging material. The critical parameters that determine the oxygen-scavenging ability of an enzyme-based coating i.e. pH, heat and coating color formulation were evaluated. Glucose oxidase, catalase and glucose were added to latex dispersions in the preparation of the coating colors. The enzymes were entrapped in the coating layers after coating and drying. The clay concentration and drying conditions were varied and the enzymatic activity of the coated layer was evaluated. The need for a pH-buffered system was also studied and the results indicated that, when using a carboxylated latex of a standard coating grade, a buffered system was not needed. A rapid drying at a high temperature was preferred over a slow drying at a low temperature in order to prevent pre-oxidation of the substrate in the wet coating color. The scavenging capacity of the coating was dependent on the amount of substrate for the enzyme reaction left after complete drying. The concentration of clay in the coating formulation was shown to have a marked impact on the oxygen-scavenging ability of the coated layer. The enzyme activity was increased by the addition of clay up to a pigment volume concentration (PVC) of ca. 10%. At higher concentrations of clay, the enzyme activity decreased until the critical pigment volume concentration (CPVC) was reached, probably due to the prevention of diffusion of oxygen and consumption of glucose in the coating process before the layer was completely dried. Further additions of clay above the CPVC resulted in an increased enzyme activity, probably due to the creation of a porous structure.