A study by researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute used enzymes attached to food-safe silica nanoparticles to create a coating that kills listeria.
The method aims at an alternative to chemical or antibiotic decontamination of various foods during handling and packaging.
The findings were published in April in Scientific Reports.
The coating killed listeria within a few minutes of contact without affecting other bacteria.
The cell lytic enzymes can also be attached to starch nanoparticles used in food packaging, according to the researchers. On meat, for example, edible starch is often sprayed into packaging as a powder layer.
“Stable enzyme-based coatings or sprays could be used in food supply infrastructure — from picking equipment to packaging to preparation — to kill listeria before anyone has a chance to get sick from it,” Rensselaer Polytechnic chemical and biological engineering professor Ravi Kane said in a news release. “We can adapt this technology for all different kinds of harmful or deadly bacteria.”
FoodWorld 