Paper · 2026 · Applied Food Research

Controlled sustained release of chlorine dioxide gas from extrusion-cast polymeric films to extend shelf life of strawberries

Maryam Safaei; Abdellah Ajji; Samuel Kessler; et al.

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claims
3
verbatim quotes
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citations
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research areas
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Open access · cc-by-nc-nd

Abstract

• Extrusion casting process used to produce ClO 2 gas release active films. • Films exhibited a sustained and controllable release of ClO 2 lasting 30 d. • ClO 2 release films extended strawberry shelf life to 14 d while preserving quality. • Films showed strong antimicrobial activity against E. coli and B. cinerea. • Films maintained their mechanical/thermal properties, ensuring processability. This study investigated the production and efficacy of two-layer films that emit chlorine dioxide (ClO 2 ) gas in a sustained manner to extend the shelf life of strawberries. Two-layer active films were manufactured via extrusion casting by incorporating varying mass fractions of citric acid (CA) (5–10 %) in an ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) layer and sodium chlorite (NaClO 2 ) (5–20 %) in a low-density polyethylene (LDPE) layer as precursors for ClO 2 gas generation. The developed films exhibited sustained ClO 2 gas release for up to 30 d, with release profiles strongly influenced by humidity, temperature, and precursor concentration. In vitro assays demonstrated that films containing 7.5–10 % CA and 15–20 % NaClO 2 achieved more than a 5-log CFU reduction of Escherichia coli , and the film containing 10 % CA and 20 % NaClO 2 resulted in complete inhibition of Botrytis cinerea mycelial growth. When applied in a strawberry storage study at 4°C, the active film containing 7.5 % CA and 15 % NaClO 2 prolonged shelf life up to 14 d by suppressing yeast and mold counts to below 3 log CFU g -1 , compared to 6.2 log CFU g -1 in control samples, while maintaining visual appearance and key fruit quality attributes. Given that the mechanical and thermal properties of these active films are comparable to those of conventional food packaging materials, the developed ClO 2 gas-emitting films represent a promising antimicrobial packaging approach for the preservation of fresh produce.

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Claims 3

Intervention effectobservedoriginal resultpositivemeasured

Claim · model-written summary

Active film prolonged strawberry shelf life to 14 days at 4°C.

Taxon
strawberryFragaria ×ananassae0
Treatment
the active film containing 7.5 % CA and 15 % NaClO 2e0
Outcome
shelf lifee0
Direction
prolongede0
Value
14 de0
Setting
4°Ce0

Not reportedComparator

Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Fragaria x ananassa
Fragaria ×ananassa · TaxonIvar Leidus · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons ↗

Verbatim

e0

“When applied in a strawberry storage study at 4°C, the active film containing 7.5 % CA and 15 % NaClO 2 prolonged shelf life up to 14 d”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 1305–1440 · show in text ↑
Intervention effectobservedoriginal resultpositivemeasured

Claim · model-written summary

The active film suppressed yeast and mold counts in stored strawberries below 3 log CFU g -1, versus 6.2 in controls.

Taxon
strawberryFragaria ×ananassae0
Treatment
the active film containing 7.5 % CA and 15 % NaClO 2e0
Outcome
yeast and mold countse0
Direction
suppressinge0
Value
below 3 log CFU g -1e0
Qualifier
6.2 log CFU g -1e0
Comparator
control samplese0
Setting
4°Ce0

Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Fragaria x ananassa
Fragaria ×ananassa · TaxonIvar Leidus · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons ↗

Verbatim

e0

“When applied in a strawberry storage study at 4°C, the active film containing 7.5 % CA and 15 % NaClO 2 prolonged shelf life up to 14 d by suppressing yeast and mold counts to below 3 log CFU g -1 , compared to 6.2 log CFU g -1 in control samples”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 1305–1551 · show in text ↑
Intervention effectobservedoriginal resultpositivemeasured

Claim · model-written summary

The film maintained strawberry visual appearance and key fruit quality attributes.

Taxon
strawberryFragaria ×ananassae0
Treatment
the active film containing 7.5 % CA and 15 % NaClO 2e0
Outcome
visual appearance and key fruit quality attributese0
Direction
maintaininge0
Comparator
control samplese0
Setting
4°Ce0

Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Fragaria x ananassa
Fragaria ×ananassa · TaxonIvar Leidus · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons ↗

Verbatim

e0

“When applied in a strawberry storage study at 4°C, the active film containing 7.5 % CA and 15 % NaClO 2 prolonged shelf life up to 14 d by suppressing yeast and mold counts to below 3 log CFU g -1 , compared to 6.2 log CFU g -1 in control samples, while maintaining visual appearance and key fruit quality attributes”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 1305–1621 · show in text ↑

sodium chlorite · quality: postharvest · Fragaria x ananassa (strawberry)Results agree

2 papers: 2 positive, 0 negative or no effect

1 paper in the same direction as this paper

  1. positive
See all 2 papers →

citric acid · quality: postharvest · Fragaria x ananassa (strawberry)Results agree

4 papers: 4 positive, 0 negative or no effect

3 papers in the same direction as this paper

  1. positive
  2. positive
  3. positive
See all 4 papers →

Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.