Development of Essential Oil Incorporated Active Film Based on Biodegradable Blends of Poly (Lactide)/Poly (Butylene Adipate-co-Terephthalate) for Food Packaging Application

Active packaging improves the food safety and quality with the incorporation of certain additives such as antimicrobial agents. The PLA/PBAT films were prepared with two essential oils—eucalyptus oil and cinnamon oil of various concentrations (1%, 5% and 10% w/w) and characterised their optical and mechanical properties, surface hydrophobicity, chemical composition and antimicrobial activity. Cinnamon oil composite films were observed as thicker film (88.88 µm) than the eucalyptus oil films (54.46 µm). The highest UV-blocking properties were observed in cinnamon oil films. However, transparency and tensile properties of the cinnamon oil films decreases as the concentration increases. The tensile strength of the eucalyptus oil film decreased by 17%, while for cinnamon by 42%. The cinnamon oil (10% w/w) film showed ≈ 5% higher biofilm inhibition than eucalyptus oil (10% w/w). The PLA/PBAT–cinnamon oil films with potent antimicrobial and UV-blocking properties can be used in food packaging to improve the quality and increase the shelf-life of foods.