New edible film made of essential oil is proven to be better at preserving foods and bread.
Healthy living is a life style. It is about the food you eat and the natural solutions you use to take care of your health.
Food storage can be a big concern, especially with the detrimental effects of BPA, a chemical found in some containers.
When you buy containers for food storage, make sure they are BPA-free.
Plastic wrap manufacturers are not required to list the full chemical makeup of their product on their boxes. Most plastic wraps are made with chemicals like low-density polyethylene (LDPE) or polyvinylidene chloride (PVDC). “LDPE and PVDC don’t adhere as well as plastic wraps made with PVC, but more worrying is the fact that LDPE may contain diethylhexyl adipate (DEHA), another potential endocrine disruptor that has been linked to breast cancer in women and low sperm counts in men,” states Andrew Weil, M.D., a leading physician and health expert.
Essential oils have gained much attention from nutritionists and natural health practitioners because of their potent therapeutic and healing properties.
There is new research on films containing essential oils like clove and oregano oil that may be replacing traditional plastic wraps.
Research teams from the Federal University of Vicosa in Brazil aimed to test the safety and efficacy of new essential oil films. Scientists know that essential oils like clove and oregano oil have anti-fungal and antibacterial properties, so they wanted to find out if these oils can help prevent fungus and bacteria from affecting foods.
This is a major step towards healthy living.
The team took preservative-free bread and placed them in edible films.
Some films contained essential oils and some didn’t.
Commercial preservatives containing calcium propionate were added to some of the bread slices.
The results after 10 days showed that the preservatives lost their effect, but the films with essential oils remained effective in slowing down mold growth. “Both essential oils lessened the counts of yeasts and molds in sliced bread during 15 days, and droplet size reduction provided a further improvement in antimicrobial properties,” the team wrote.
The results of this study were published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. These results are promising, and may be the future of healthy living and safe, chemical free food preservation.
Note: None of the information in our website is intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any illness or disease. The content on our website is for educational purposes only.
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REFERENCES:
1. “Preserving Bread Longer: A New Edible Film Made with Essential Oils.” ACS. American Chemical Society, 04 June 2014. Web. 21 June 2014.
2. “Edible Films from Methylcellulose and Nanoemulsions of Clove Bud (Syzygium Aromaticum) and Oregano (Origanum Vulgare) Essential Oils as Shelf Life Extenders for Sliced Bread.” ACS Publications. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 12 May 2014. Web. 21 June 2014.
3. “Is Plastic Wrap Safe?” WEIL. Dr. Andrew Weil, 31 Jan. 2013. Web. 21 June 2014.
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