Posted by Antimicrobial active packaging is an innovative and emerging packaging technology that inhibits microbial growth of pathogenic and/or spoilage microorganisms this way the product shelf life is increased.
βCDs−essential oils (EOs) complexes were used within a water−based acrylic
emulsion (lacquer) as a coating to develop an antimicrobial active cardboard box. Carvacrol:oregano:cinnamon mixture (70:10:20) was selected due to its high antimicrobial activity. The complex was prepared by kneading. The lacquer with or without the complex was sprayed on cardboard boxes.
The carvactrol content of boxes decreased from 27 mg/m2 to approx. 7 mg/m2 during 6 days of storage at 8oC and subsequent commercialization period (5 days at 25 oC). The firmness of tomatos decreased to 81% of initial for control samples while only to 97% for the samples stored in the boxes treated with βCDs−EOs. The decay incidence of fresh tomato packaged in control boxes was 9%, while no decay incidence was observed for the samples stored in the boxes treated with βCDs−EOs.
Active packaging of samples did not affect the sensory quality of samples.
Tomatoes packaged within active boxes coated with the βCD−EOs inclusion complex showed the lowest decay incidences and better firmness retention compared to control without changing the taste.
Buendía−Moreno, L., Sánchez−Martínez, M.J., Antolinos, V., Chumillas, M.R., Segura, L.N., Jover, S.S., Martínez−Hernández, G.B., López−Gómez, A. Active cardboard box with a coating including essential oils entrapped within cyclodextrins and/or hallosyte nanotubes. A case study for fresh tomato storage. Food Control 2020, 107,106763. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodcont.2019.106763