Active food packaging is a fast-growing market, with the implementation of films made from blends of biopolymers and synthetic polymers increasing in importance to extend the shelf-life of food products. Natural biopolymers, when blended with certain polymers and additives, have been found to form polymer films with mechanical properties necessary for single-use food packaging. In this study, the preparation and characterization of chitosan-based polymer blends incorporated with grape seed oil are reported. Chitosan was chosen as the primary biopolymer because it is a polysaccharide with a strong film-forming ability, a waste product of seafood processing, and abundantly available. Chitosan is especially promising when incorporated into food packaging, as it is inexpensive, non-toxic, and has natural antimicrobial abilities. Grapeseed oil was incorporated into the film solution because it is a byproduct of the winemaking industry and has natural antimicrobial properties. Soy lecithin was introduced as an emulsifier with antioxidant properties and poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) was used as a synthetic plasticizer. To determine the best polymer blend composition, different ratios of each were prepared, cast into films, and analyzed. The polymer blends were characterized using FTIR spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis. Furthermore, the antimicrobial activity of the films against strains of <i>S. epidermidis</i> and <i>E. coli</i> were also investigated. The optimal solution was found to have a 1:1 ratio of grapeseed oil to lecithin, and 3:1 ratio of solution to PVA. Future work should endeavor to study the mechanical properties of the polymer blends and test the effects of active food packaging films on different food products.

Preparation and evaluation of chitosan-based polymer blends incorporated with grapeseed oil for active food packaging

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