Oxygen (O2) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) are either directly or indirectly responsible for most of the degradation reactions that take place in food products. Direct oxidation reactions cause the deterioration of food organoleptic and nutritional properties (e.g. degradation of oils, fats, pigments and vitamins), while an example of the indirect action of O2 on food quality is food spoilage by aerobic microorganisms. There have been a variety of developments in packaging materials to reduce oxidation in food products over the years. Some examples include the introduction of polyvinylidene chloride (PVdC)-coated fi lms, the incorporation of polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH) as an oxygen barrier layer, and the use of vacuum-deposited aluminum to reduce oxygen penetration into packaged products. Vacuum packaging and inert atmospheres have also been used to signifi cantly extend the shelf life of many food products.1 Oxygen scavengers and free radical scavengers are now also incorporated into packages and packaging materials to produce so-called active packaging and active plastic packaging materials, which reduce the deleterious effects of oxygen and ROS on food products. Unlike traditional or passive packaging, which cannot remove or reduce the oxygen present, oxygen scavenging active packaging and packaging materials can reduce oxygen to levels of below 0.01%2 in the packaging headspace and maintain these conditions during