Nanoclay and Polystyrene Type Efficiency on the Development of Polystyrene/Montmorillonite/Oregano Oil Antioxidant Active Packaging Nanocomposite Films

Over the years, there has been an effort to extend food shelf life so as to reduce global food waste. The use of natural biodegradable materials in production procedures is more and more adopted nowadays in order to achieve cyclic economy targets and improve environmental and human health indexes. Active packaging is the latest trend for food preservation. In this work, polystyrene was mixed with natural NaMt, OrgNaMt montmorillonite, and oregano essential oil to develop a new packaging film. Strength, oxygen and water-vapour permeation, blending and homogeneity, and antimicrobial and antioxidant activity were measured as basic parameters for food packaging films characterization. Instruments such as a tensile measurement instrument, XRD, FTIR, DMA, OPA (Oxygen Permeation Analyzer), and other handmade devices were used. Results showed that polystyrene could be modified, improved, and exhibits food odour prevention characteristics in order to be used for applications on food active packaging. The material with the code name PS5OO@OrgMt qualified between the tested samples as the most promising material for food active packaging applications.

Automated summary

Efforts to extend food shelf life and reduce global food waste have led to the adoption of natural biodegradable materials in food packaging production. In this study, a new packaging film was developed by mixing polystyrene with natural materials and essential oil, showing improved antimicrobial and antioxidant properties for food preservation. The material coded as PS5OO@OrgMt was identified as the most promising for food active packaging applications among the tested samples.