Nano-TiO2 particles and high hydrostatic pressure treatment for improving functionality of polyvinyl alcohol and chitosan composite films and nano-TiO2 migration from film matrix in food simulants

Results from this study provide a new application direction of high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) in the field of food packaging materials for improving the functionality of materials. Due to the non-thermal characteristic, HHP in combination with nano-TiO2 not only improved the mechanical and barrier properties of the biodegradable PVA-CHI composite films (polyvinyl alcohol and chitosan based materials), but also enhanced the antibacterial activity of the films. The HHP treated PVA-CHI-TiO2 films are very stable in food simulants, such as olive oils. Therefore, the utilization of HHP and nano-TiO2 is promising in the preparation of food packaging materials with desirable functionalities.