Nonstick coating keeps pathogens away from meat packaging

Researchers at McMaster University have developed an antibacterial wrap that could help prevent the spread of foodborne illness when used to package raw chicken, meats and other foods.

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Mark Balyshev | Fotolia.com
Mark Balyshev | Fotolia.com

Researchers at McMaster University have developed an antibacterial wrap that could help prevent the spread of foodborne illness when used to package raw chicken, meats and other foods.

More than 48 million people in the U.S. get sick from a foodborne illness each year and 3,000 people die as a result, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates. Contaminated poultry meat are the underlying cause of 19% of deaths attributed to foodborne illnesses.

Foodborne illnesses occur after people eat or drink food or beverages contaminated with pathogens, chemicals or toxins. Salmonella and Listeria are the most common bacteria to infect poultry.

The science behind the repellent barrier

The surface of the nonstick coating is lined with microscopic wrinkles designed to repel all external molecules – including E. coli, Salmonella, listeria and even water. It is also treated chemically, resulting in a flexible, durable, inexpensive barrier against potentially dangerous pathogens.

The nonstick coating has already been successfully tested against two of the most troubling forms of antibiotic-resistant bacteria MRSA and Pseudomonas. The research team – which included scientists who specialized in nano-scale surface engineering and chemistry – used electron microscope images to show that virtually no bacteria can attach itself to the new surface.

“We see a big application for food packaging. … Using these wraps either on the production tables or the packaging itself could resolve a lot of issues we’re dealing with these days in terms of contamination [by] bacteria,” says Tohid Didar, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering at McMaster, in a video featured on the university’s website.

The self-cleaning plastic surface, which was described in the journal ACS Nano, could also be shrink-wrapped onto door handles, railings, IV stands and other surfaces to prevent the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in hospitals.

The researchers are currently looking for a company to partner with to commercialize the new nonstick coating.

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