Rechargeable films for protection of dry foods: A sustainable method for covalent grafting of β-cyclodextrin-thymol complex on PET/viscose platform
This is a bit of food industry, a bit of agriculture: rechargeable materials for the effective protection of dry food products were developed by Stella Kiel and Elena Poverenov at Volcani Institute. β-cyclodextrin-thymol inclusion complex was covalently grafted on a solid platform and demonstrated antimicrobial properties preventing mold propagation in wheat grains. The treated grains showed normal germination abilities verifying that the prepared materials can protect dry food products without using harmful chemicals. The suggested approach can be extended to other applications and active agents. A combination of rechargeable films with natural volatiles can be an effective platform for sustainable active materials for food protection and in other fields such as agriculture, cosmetics, and medicine.
