Novel Plastic Film Used in Food Packaging Could Inactivate Coronavirus

Novel transparent, stretchable plastic (PVC) film used to package fruits, meats and other foods to protect surfaces could inactivate the novel coronavirus responsible for the COVID-19 outbreak worldwide.

The material contains silver and silica nanoparticles marketed by Brazilian plastics manufacturer Alpes, a technology developed and licensed by Nanox.

Coronavirus
Coronaviruses infect animals, humans, and birds. Human coronaviruses, such as SARS, MERS, and 2019-nCoV cause respiratory distress and even death. The S protein is the infectious agent of the virus.

‘Transparent stretch-wrap PVC film can inactivate novel COVID virus. ’

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University of Sao Paulo's Biomedical Sciences Institute (ICB-USP) conducted the test. The PVC film showed capable of killing 79.9 percent of the particles of SARS-CoV-2 in three minutes and 99.99 percent in up to 15 minutes.

"Elimination of the coronavirus by the material was remarkably effective and fast," stated study author Lucio Freitas Junior from ICB-USP.

"It's a very distinct application from the more than 40 products that attack the SARS-CoV2 tested by us since the origin of the pandemic," Freitas added.

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The plastic film was tested against ISO 21702:2019, the technical standard directing the measurement of antiviral activity on plastics, other non-porous surfaces, and demanding proof of this capability within four hours.

Materials of the sample with and without silver-silica nanoparticles were kept in direct contact with novel coronavirus for varying amounts of time.

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After the specified periods, the viral particles found in the material were extracted and placed in contact with Vero cells to determine the infection and replication rate after exposure to the film.

Vero cells are obtained from an African monkey's kidney and are widely used in microbiological cultures.

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The viral genetic material was quantified by PCR, revealing a reduction of almost 100 percent in copies of coronavirus after 15 minutes of exposure to the film.

"Considering its use in wrapping for foods that are exposed and sold in supermarkets, 15 minutes for the film to eradicate the virus from the surface of the material is satisfactory," researchers wrote.

Source-Medindia