Evaluation of oxygen absorber system effectiveness in butter containers

Abstract

The oxygen can have an adverse effect on the quality of some foods leading to a decrease in their shelf-life. Several approaches have been applied to remove the oxygen concentration in packed food; among them, oxygen scavengers have been widely used to preserve oxygen-sensitive foods. In the present study, an experimental set-up was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of oxygen scavengers, in removing oxygen from butter containers. Two types of oxygen absorbers adhesive labels and sachets and two caps with and without adjustable closure were tested. The plastic caps used in the study were characterized by differential scanning calorimetry and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The oxygen concentration in the headspace of the containers was monitored using a gas analyser. The best results were achieved with the oxygen absorber sachets and using caps with adjustable closure. Under these conditions, the oxygen concentration inside the container remained below 3% during 150 h.