Use of essential oils in food packaging, in: Essential Oils in Food Preservation, Flavor and Safety, 1st Edition

Traditional passive packaging is restricted in protecting food products because of the way that food is distributed and stored. Furthermore, the extended shelf-life of manufactured foods and the consumer demand for minimal addition of preservatives in food products have led to the innovation of active packaging systems intended to protect food products from microbial contamination. The chapter presents new natural antimicrobial active packaging projected to extend shelf-life and to the enhancement of safety and quality of main food categories such as meat, fish, dairy products, cereal-based food, and minimally processed fruit and vegetables.