• KOREAN JOURNAL OF PACKAGING SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.55-62
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• 2021

This study aims to reduce the rancid odor generated during the fermentation process of kimchi by inserting zinc oxide (ZnO) into an inorganic porous material with a high surface area to decompose or adsorb the fermentation odor. ZnO activated by the presence of moisture exhibits decomposition of rancid odors. Mixed with Titanium dioxide (TiO₂), a photocatalyst. To manufacture the packaging liner used in this study, NaOH, ZnCl₂, and TiO₂ powder were placed in a tank with diatomite and water. The sludge obtained via a hydrothermal ultrasonication synthesis was sintered in an oven. After being pin-milled and melt-blended, the powders were mixed with linear low-density polyethylene (L-LDPE) to make a masterbatch (M/B), which was further used to manufacture liners. A gas detector (GasTiger 2000) was used to investigate the total amount of sulfur compounds during fermentation and determine the reduction rate of the odor-causing compounds. The packaging liner cross-section and surface were investigated using a scanning electron microscope-energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer (SEM-EDS) to observe the adsorption of sulfur compounds. A variety of sulfur compounds associated with the perceived unpleasant odor of kimchi were analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). For the analyses, kimchi was homogenized at room temperature and divided into several sample dishes. The performance of the liner was evaluated by comparing the total area of the GC-MS signals of major off-flavor sulfur compounds during the five days of fermentation at 20℃. As a result, Nano-grade inorganic compound liners reduced the sulfur content by 67 % on average, compared to ordinary polyethylene (PE) foam liners. Afterwards SEM-EDS was used to analyze the sulfur content adsorbed by the liners. The findings of this study strongly suggest that decomposition and adsorption of the odor-generating compounds occur more effectively in the newly-developed inorganic nanocomposite liners.