The effect of different preparation methods on the development of chitosan/thyme oil/montmorillonite nanocomposite active packaging films

The globally increasing needs for food quantity and quality led industries to invest in packaging methods that enhance the shelf life and quality of foods. Also, the effort to avoid the use of petrochemical or chemical derivatives in the production-chain increased the exploitation of by-products and biomass. In this work, the raw materials such as montmorillonite (Mt), the chitosan (CS) which is a sea-food byproduct, and the natural essential oil extract thyme oil (TO) were combined via two different methods for the development of an advanced nanocomposite active packaging film for foods. In the first method, the so-called “Solution-Blending” (SB), a CS/TO solution was blended with sodium–montmorillonite (NaMt) or organomodified-montmorillonite (OrgMt). In the second method, the so-called “ModifiedClay” (MC), the TO was adsorbed into NaMt or OrgMt and the produced hybrid was added to CS. The tests indicated that nanocomposite films which were prepared via the MC method are promising materials for active packaging films. Practical applications Nowadays, a lot of effort is spent on finding advanced food conservation methods which extend shelf time, increase quality, and vanish the food odor problems. This study shows that films which are prepared via the modified clay method exhibit high antioxidant behavior and high antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli. Also, tests on under-vacuum packaged chicken breast fillets exhibit low lipid oxidation values. Thus, these films/pads are promising for active packaging applications of meat and other food products.