title: Assessment of antimicrobial effects of food contact materials containing silver on growth of Salmonella Typhimurium.
abstract: Food contact materials containing antibacterial properties are progressively appearing in the market. Items intended to provide antimicrobial effects such as increased shelf life and food safety are incorporating silver materials during the manufacture of such products. This study examined the total silver content, release capacity, and antibacterial activity of three different silver-containing food contact materials: plastic food storage containers, a plastic cutting board, and food wrapping paper. Silver content and release were determined by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry, and the results showed that, although the amount of silver in each product was similar, migration varied considerably with kind of material and simulant choice. Antimicrobial effect was tested by measuring the growth of Salmonella Typhimurium during or after exposure to the different food contact materials. The results showed that the food storage containers and wrapping paper delayed the growth of S. Typhimurium under certain conditions, but that these effects were short-lived. The strain of S. Typhimurium used in this study was found to be negative for the presence of tested silver resistance genes. The results of this study suggest that a thorough investigation should be required to show/claim the efficacy of silver-containing food contact materials for food safety purposes.
authors.affiliation: Division of Microbiology, National Center for Toxicological Research/US Food and Drug Administration, Jefferson AR 72079, United States.
authors.forename: Katherine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.affiliation: Division of Microbiology, National Center for Toxicological Research/US Food and Drug Administration, Jefferson AR 72079, United States.
authors.forename: Luis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Valencia
authors.affiliation: Division of Microbiology, National Center for Toxicological Research/US Food and Drug Administration, Jefferson AR 72079, United States.
authors.forename: Kuppan
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Gokulan
authors.affiliation: Division of Biochemical Toxicology, National Center for Toxicological Research/US Food and Drug Administration, Jefferson AR 72079, United States.
authors.forename: Raul
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Trbojevich
authors.affiliation: Division of Microbiology, National Center for Toxicological Research/US Food and Drug Administration, Jefferson AR 72079, United States. Electronic address: sangeeta.khare@fda.hhs.gov.
authors.forename: Sangeeta
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Khare
mesh_terms: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000032:analysis / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D004351:Drug Resistance / Q000235:genetics; D018857:Food Packaging; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D010969:Plastics / Q000032:analysis; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012486:Salmonella typhimurium / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development*; D012834:Silver / Q000032:analysis / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D010969:Plastics; D012834:Silver
keywords: Bacteria; Food contact material; Growth; Salmonella; Silver