The increasing demand for safety and quality in food products has stimulated research on developing natural preservatives and their carrier systems as a novel intervention strategy. Metal-organic framework (MOF) is a class of porous materials composed of metal ions or clusters within a network of organic ligand linkages, which holds strong promises in the adsorption and discharge of gaseous or liquid compounds. Recently, we developed a facile and template-free solvothermal method as a bottom-up approach to synthesize mesoporous/macroporous MOF nanosheets in a simple and scalable way. It is also a possibility to adjust and tailor the structure and performances of the assemblies by controlling the size and shape of the MOF crystals. To demonstrate MOF’s potential, Zinc and Copper MOFs were used as the model in applications to address food safety and food waste challenges. Specifically, one of our studies evaluated the indirect and contact-free application of volatile essential oil (thymol) using Zn-MOF as the delivery matrices, which demonstrated an effective antimicrobial against <i>E. coli </i>O157:H7 by achieving a 4.4-Log reduction in 24 hours. In another study, ethylene-charged Cu-MOF significantly altered the headspace gas composition and accelerated the ripening-related physiological changes (e.g., color and firmness) of treated bananas and avocados. This result suggests that MOF-ethylene technology could be used for postharvest application to stimulate ripening just before the point of consumption, which could reduce postharvest losses of climacteric produce.

Headspace manipulation via metal-organic-framework (MOF) –Promising strategies in addressing food safety and food waste challenges

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ACS Fall 2022

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.