Insect-resistant food packaging film development using cinnamon oil and microencapsulation technologies

Area of Science:

• Food Science
• Materials Science
• Entomology

Background:

• Indian meal moth (Plodia interpunctella) infestations pose a significant threat to stored food products.
• Conventional pest control methods may not be suitable for direct food application.
• Development of novel insect-resistant packaging is crucial for food preservation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop insect-repellent films using microencapsulated cinnamon oil (CO) for food protection.
• To evaluate the efficacy of different encapsulation materials and film coatings against Plodia interpunctella.
• To assess the impact of microencapsulation on the release rate of the active repellent.

Main Methods:

• Cinnamon oil (CO) was microencapsulated using gum arabic, whey protein isolate (WPI)/maltodextrin (MD), or poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA).
• Low-density polyethylene (LDPE) films were coated with microcapsule-containing inks or polypropylene (PP) solutions.
• Encapsulation efficiency, larval repellency, cinnamaldehyde release rate, and film tensile properties were analyzed.

Main Results:

• High encapsulation efficiencies were achieved (90.4% for gum arabic, 94.6% for WPI/MD, 80.7% for PVA).
• Films with PVA/CO microcapsule emulsion or WPI/MD/CO microcapsule powder showed significant insect repellency (P < 0.05).
• Microencapsulation reduced cinnamaldehyde release in PP by 23 times, extending repellent duration without affecting film strength.

Conclusions:

• Microencapsulation enhances the insect-repelling efficacy of cinnamon oil in LDPE films.
• The developed coating platform is versatile and can be applied to other food packaging films.
• These insect-repellent films offer effective protection for various food products against the Indian meal moth.