Bioactive chitosan and essential oils in sustainable active food packaging: Recent trends, mechanisms, and applications

Worldwide, consumers are demanding safe foods that are minimally processed and retain quality and health properties. Achieving these requirements calls for the development of effective food packaging materials. The challenge is that plastic polymers and synthetic preservatives are not suitable for developing active food packaging due to their harmful health effects and negative environmental impact. In this regard, innovations in active films through adding essential oils (EOs) onto degradable and bio-based polymers such as chitosan films are gaining more attention. Novel properties such as antimicrobial and antioxidant activities and the eco-friendly nature of chitosan and EOs-based films are of great interest in preserving perishable foods. Incorporating EOs into chitosan films improves the films' physical and mechanical properties, retards the growth of foodborne pathogens, and controls the production of harmful lipid oxidation products. This active packaging technology can be commercially optimized in the global market to preserve highly perishable food products.