Essential oil-based intelligent packaging with controlled release: A review on mechanisms, encapsulation, and...

Essential oil (EO)-based intelligent packaging has emerged as a promising strategy for sustainable food preservation by leveraging the natural antibacterial and antioxidant properties of EOs. Encapsulation serves as a pivotal approach to overcome inherent limitations of EOs, such as high volatility and poor stability, enabling the design of stimuli-responsive controlled-release systems sensitive to environmental cues like pH and humidity. This review systematically investigates the integration mechanisms between intelligent packaging and EO-controlled release systems, providing an in-depth analysis of the antibacterial principles of EOs, advanced encapsulation strategies, and operational mechanisms of intelligent indicators. Particular emphasis is placed on the molecular-level interactions (including both covalent and non-covalent bonds) within the packaging matrix that govern EO stability and release behavior - an aspect frequently overlooked in current research. Future advancements should focus on developing high-performance composites with integrated sensing capabilities, while concurrently addressing the scale-up and cost-effectiveness for widespread commercialization.