Development of lignocellulosic hydroxyethyl cellulose composite films for fruit antimicrobial packaging

The nonbiodegradability of conventional petroleum-based packaging materials and associated health concerns have increased interest in developing more environmentally friendly alternatives for food preservation. As a renewable candidate, cellulose lacks intrinsic antimicrobial capacity, and cotton-based hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC) suffers high production costs. Herein, lignocellulose-based hydroxyethyl cellulose (Lig-HEC) was fabricated and formulated into composite films. The obtained film delivered 6.1 MPa tensile strength and 6.19 × 10^-10 g m^-1 s^-1 Pa^-1 water vapor permeability, together with pronounced inhibitory activity against Penicillium oxalicum. Moreover, two flexible application strategies, tape casting and liquid dip-coating, were adopted for different berry fruits. The composite film mitigated weight loss and mold growth of cherries/strawberries, achieving a 29.3%-46.9% reduction in fruit weight loss relative to the untreated control, outperforming commercial polyethylene films. The results indicate that Lig-HEC can be used to develop high-performance and cost-effective antimicrobial packaging materials for food preservation.