Abstract The use of natural antimicrobial additives, such as orange essential oil (OO), can be a promising possibility to increase food shelf life with the aid of active packaging. This study aimed to develop an active packaging using orange oil and PBAT - poly (butylene adipate co- terephthalate) to store mozzarella cheese produced by a fine film extruder with 5, 10, and 15% OO (w/w). In the results, D-limonene was oil’s main constituent with antimicrobial activity against E. aerogenes, E. coli, and S. aureus. The addition of the oil did not alter the thermal stability of the film. The water vapor permeability increased with increasing oil concentration. All films presented high strength. However, films with higher OO concentrations favored the degradation process, as observed in the activation energy. The active packaging added with 15% OO (PBAT15) was efficient, reducing microbial growth up to 6 days of storage of mozzarella cheese.

Abstract In this work were developed and evaluated new antimicrobial films of polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) additivated with polyethyleneglycol (PEG) and clove essential oil (CEO). The PHB/PEG/CEO films were prepared using the solution casting technique. The CEO concentrations varied between 0.0 and 15% (w/w), related to the total mass (1.4 g), without considering the solvent used. The CG-MS analysis showed that the major component of the CEO was eugenol (72.96%). The antimicrobial activity from the CEO was evaluated against three bacteria (E. coli, E. aerogenes and S. aureus). The migration of CEO in the films occurred with all tested simulants. Thermal analysis has shown that the addition of 15% w/w of the CEO causes the biggest changes in the chemical structure of the material, resulting in less energy during film processing. The mechanical data demonstrated that the addition of 15% w/w of the CEO results in more flexible films.

Due to its ester bonds, poly(lactic acid) (PLA) undergoes biodegradation in humid environments, attracting market attention. The goal of this work was to observe the biodegradation in garden soil of PLA nanocomposites with neat (PLA/CNW) and surfactant modified cellulose nanowhiskers (PLA/CNW/S). Three types of surfactants were tested: poly(ethylene glycol) monooleate (PEGMONO) and poly(ethylene glycol) with molecular weight of 300 and 1000 Da. The films were obtained by solution casting, cut in strips of (2x2) cm and buried in garden soil, monitoring the temperature and humidity. After 90, 120 and 150 days changes were observed in the films by visual inspection, polarized light microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The results showed that the addition of surfactant favored the biodegradation of nanocomposites and that PLA/CNW/PEG1000 showed the fastest biodegradation rate.