Natural pollen stabilized Pickering emulsions incorporated in carboxymethyl cellulose-based active packaging films...

Pickering emulsions (PE) are widely regarded as ideal carriers for hydrophobic antimicrobial agents in active packaging films owing to their unique solid-liquid interfacial anchoring behavior. However, the instability of emulsions shell often triggers an uncontrolled burst release of these agents, markedly compromising their preservation performance. Herein, a novel stable tea pollen (PO) stabilized Pickering emulsion was proposed as the active fillers to construct carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC)-based active packaging film, in which carnosic acid (CA) is encapsulated within the PO-stabilized emulsion as the antimicrobial agent. Benefiting from the distinctive and mechanically robust exine architecture of the pollen, PO retains its structural integrity during emulsification, thereby generating a highly stable, naturally derived pollen-stabilized PE. The optimized emulsion maintained a uniform texture even after 14 days of long-term storage. In practical application, CMC-10% film can extend the shelf life of strawberries by 4 days. This study proposed an innovative strategy for developing active food packaging films with sustained-release functionality.