Comparison of the Antifungal Activity of Titanium Dioxide Based Nano-Silver Packaging and Conventional Polyethylene Packaging in Consumed Bread

Using titanium dioxide nano-silver packaging, which is antibacterial and resistance to the diffusion of gases such as oxygen, is increasing in food industry. Therefore, we compared the effect of titanium dioxide-based nano-silver packaging and conventional polyethylene packaging on the fungal flora of consuming bread in order to increase the shelf-life storage of consuming bread. One hundred forty four samples of 6 different types of loaf of bread were randomly obtained from 12 bakeries in District 2 of Tehran. The samples were packaged with 3%, 5% and 10% nano-coatings, and also conventional polyethylene coatings as the control group. The bacterial examination and monitoring of samples, according to the national standards of Iran, was carried out 3 times, on the days 1, 3, 7, 14 and 28 of the study period. This study showed that the film type and storage period were the main factors, which significantly influenced the fungal flora of bread. The lowest rate of various fungi growth (%14) was observed in the 10% nano-film, while the highest rate of various fungi growth (47%) was observed in the conventional polyethylene coating (P<0.001). With the increase of the storage period, the number of various fungi increased; however, this correlation was not similar in most of the breads and fungi types, and there were significant difference between them in this regard (P=0.001). According to the results of the present study, due to increasing population growth and in order to improve food security, the use of packages with nano-silver particles, which are based on titanium dioxide, prevails over the polyethylene packages. Therefore, using such packages is highly recommended in the bakery industry