EFFECT OF LAURIC ACID ADDITION ON THE MICROBIAL EFFICACY OF CHITOSAN-BASED FILM

In response to the dynamic changes in current consumer demand and market trends, the area of Active Packaging is becoming increasingly significant. An Antimicrobial Active Packaging can be made by incorporating and immobilizing antimicrobial agents into food packages and applying a bio-switch concept. Using this technique, the mechanism of antimicrobial release between the developed bio-switch particles and the stimulus of a microbial contamination can be studied. The objective of this research is to develop a chitosan-based film incorporated with antimicrobial agents consisting of lauric acid. The control and lauric acid chitosan-based film appearance achieved from this study were visually transparent, flexible homogeneity comparable to commercially polyethylene film characteristics. The effectiveness of the antimicrobial film towards inhibition of microbial activity was evaluated by zone inhibition on the agar plate test and liquid culture test. Clear zones formed on the film appearance showed the combination of both antimicrobial agents gives good inhibition to the growth of E. coli and B. subtilis with optimum inhibition rate at lauric acid concentration of 0.625 x 10(-2)M. With the advent of new polymer materials and antimicrobials, the development of active packaging could prolong the shelf life of food and reduce the risk of food-borne illness caused by microbial contamination by restrain or inhibit the growth of spoilage and/or pathogenic microorganisms that are contaminating foods.