Active cardboard box with a coating including essential oils entrapped within cyclodextrins and/or halloysite nanotubes. A case study for fresh tomato storage

Different antimicrobial active packaging treatments were studied on the fresh tomato quality after 6 days/8 degrees C (short transport simulation) followed by 5 days/25 degrees C (commercialization). Particularly, active cardboard boxes were coated with a water - based acrylic emulsion containing essential oils (EOs) nanoencapsulated within: beta - cyclodextrin (beta CD), halloysite nanotubes (HNT) or their combination. As controls, boxes were coated with the pure acrylic emulsion (CTRL) or this emulsion including pure HNT. The initial physicochemical, colour and microbial quality of tomatoes were not affected (p > 0.05) by the active packages. Firmness remained unaffected (p > 0.05) after 6 days at 8 degrees C using the beta CD - EOs and control HNT (no EOs) boxes. Furthermore, decay incidence of tomatoes within beta CD - EOs boxes was reduced from 9 - 15% (rest of treatments) to 2% after an abusive storage period (6 days/8 degrees C+ 12 days/25 degrees C). Conclusively, beta CD - EOs active boxes highly retained the fresh tomato quality during the studied storage periods being postharvest losses due to decay highly reduced.