Essential Oils in Active Films and Coatings

Abstract

Essential oil is a plant’s secondary metabolite and consists of a complex mixture of components. This chapter discusses mainly composition and classification, properties, and applications of essential oils in fabrication of nanocomposites for food packaging applications. In addition, their limitations and various prospects in the field of active food packaging are discussed for enlightening readers. Properties and characteristics of essential oils are important in the fabrication of active food packaging films. Since the stability of essential oils in packaging films is poor, encapsulation of essential oils or their active components has emerged in recent times. The current development in food packaging applications also involves active films and coatings which preserve the quality of fish, meat, and derived products. The shelf-life of these products can be considerably prolonged as well as the films or coatings being consumed along with the food products.