Evaluation of a polymer coating containing triclosan as the antimicrobial layer for packaging materials

A coating made of a styrene-acrylate copolymer and containing triclosan (87 +/- 9 mg triclosan cm(-3) coating) was evaluated as an antimicrobial layer for packaging materials. In both agar diffusion tests and liquid culture tests, inhibition of growth of Enterococcus faecalis by the triclosan-coating was observed. Triclosan in the coating was not released into the water. Using a solution of 10% aqueous ethanol to simulate aqueous/acidic foods, a very small portion of the triclosan was quickly released with an estimated apparent partition coefficient of 1.7 x 10(-5). When using n -heptane, to simulate fatty foods, most of the triclosan was extracted with an estimated apparent partition coefficient of 5.5 x 10(-2).