Printable active packaging film with Pelargonium graveolens oil

Abstract Due to the increasing demands of consumers from the food packaging, it enabled the improve of active packaging practices. Antimicrobial and antifungal coatings or films are an active packaging application. In such packaging materials, natural or synthetic antimicrobial material is added to the film or coating to help the packaging protect food. The use of biofilms produced from biopolymers in food packaging is more suitable than polymers with many damages such as PET, PE. Film production of many biopolymers such as cellulose derivatives, chitosan, PVA, starch PLA can be realized. Pelargonium graveolens plant is a natural source with strong antifungal and antimicrobial properties. For the reasons explained above, the experimental study aims to manufacture printable film with antimicrobial properties which is used in active packaging, using cellulose butyrate acetate and Pelargonium graveolens essential oil. For this purpose, cellulose butyrate acetate bio films, having variative ratios (0.1, 2.5, 5, 10 %) of Pelargonium graveolens oil, were produced with spin coating method. The transparency of prepared five different films were defined by UV–vis. spectroscopy. The antimicrobial properties of the produced films were measured against gram positive and negative bacteria. All produced biofilms were printed. The printability parameters of biofilms, (color, gloss) were determined. Consequently, cellulose butyrate acetate films loaded with Pelargonium graveolens oil were successfully produced. It is concluded that obtained all biofilms are with no color, transparent and printable with oil based inks. It was determined that the quantity Pelargonium graveolens oil raised in the biofilms had a strong inhibitory effect against gram positive and negative bacteria. With these features; produced films are considered to be suitable for active packaging applications.