Abstract
In recent years, natural antimicrobial compounds have attracted a great deal of attention from the food industry. Innovations in food packaging have also been focused on the incorporation of these active additives in polymer matrices with the purpose of extending foods shelf life. Essential oils (EOs) from aromatic plants are potent antimicrobial agents and many EOs are known to be powerful agents against E. coli, L. monocytogenes and other pathological bacteria. However, their volatility, their low solubility in water, and susceptibility for oxidation limits their use. Micro and nanoencapsulation of EOs is one of the options to reduce these effects and to improve their biological activities. In this review, the relevance of the encapsulation of EOs as antimicrobial agents and their incorporation into food packaging are discussed. Application of active antimicrobial packaging, based on encapsulated EOs, to foods is also addressed to evaluate their influence in food shelf life.
