BIODEGRADABLE COMPOSITE FILMS WITH ENHANCED ANTIMICROBIAL PROPERTIES FOR FOOD PACKAGING APPLICATIONS

Abstract

The concerns about food safety and plastic pollution encourage the development of food packaging that is antimicrobial and biodegradable. In this study, food packaging films were prepared by blending poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) with chitosan (CHT) and grapefruit seed extract (GFSE) using melt blending followed by compression molding. CHT was used as a carrier for GFSE and different GFSE/CHT ratios (0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0 and 2.5 mL/g) affected the films’ morphology, mechanical and antimicrobial properties. GFSE-loaded films were effective against food-borne pathogen Escherichia coli and could inhibit the bacterial growth for 120 h when GFSE content reached 0.5 mL/g. Food packaging test showed that PCL/CHT/GFSE films were effective to inhibit the growth of E. coli on salmon during storage, and no mold growth was observed on the bread packaged with films containing ≥ 1.0 mL/g GFSE after 7 days. Furthermore, the biodegradability of PCL, PCL/CHT and PCL/CHT/GFSE films in seawater was investigated.