Industrial-scale blown active packaging film with essential oils: Properties, dual-functional performance, and box packaging application of instant noodles

This study aimed to develop a bio-based blown active packaging film containing the essential oils and chaff with dual insect-repellent and antimicrobial activities at industrial-scale. The mixture of Origanum vulgare and Tanacetum cinerariifolium (O1T3) was adsorbed on celite and fumed silica, and their insect-repellent activities were determined using a long cylinder trap. The immobilized O1T3 on celite (OTC) exhibited superior prolonged repellent efficacy for up to 14 days. Linear low-density polyethylene/chaff blown active films (LLCBF-OTCs) were then manufactured with three different percentages of the OTC using a blown twin-screw extruder. Their optical and mechanical properties were examined to determine the optimum OTC concentration. Among them, LLCBF-OTC0.5 exhibited the highest elongation at break and tensile strength, as well as similar opacity and color with LLCBF film. Finally, its antimicrobial and insect-repellent activities were evaluated using ISO22196 standard and the designed large chambers to control P. interpunctella and C. cautella larvae under a simulated field condition of instant noodles, respectively. Its ISO22196-based values of antimicrobial activity were 4.9 for Escherichia coli and 3.5 for Staphylococcus aureus. More importantly, the LLCBF-OTC0.5 showed 8.12- and 2.17-fold greater insect-repellent activity than the control film against P. interpunctella and T. castaneum, respectively. Thus, LLCBF-OTC0.5 demonstrated excellent feasibility for its commercial use as an industrial-scale active box packaging film in the food industry.