Short communicationEssential oil from pink pepper as an antimicrobial component in cellulose acetate film: Potential for application as active packaging for sliced cheese

- The pink pepper EO conferred antimicrobial activity to the cellulose acetate films.
- The concentrations of 2, 4 and 6% of EO added to the films made them active.
- The antimicrobial capacity was detected in all systems (in vitro and in situ).
- The films reduced the microbiological growth in sliced cheese.
- The films indicating favorable characteristics for its use as active packaging.

Active packagings (antimicrobial) control microbial contamination and reduce the need for preservatives added directly to food. Their active character can be obtained by adding essential oils (EO), which are natural extracts with antimicrobial properties. This work aimed to produce active films of cellulose acetate by incorporation of pink pepper EO, evaluating this action by diffusion in solid medium (agar), dispersion in liquid medium (broth), volatilization (micro-atmosphere), and in situ (sliced mozzarella cheese) against Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli and Salmonella Typhimurium. The concentrations of 2, 4 and 6% of EO added to the films made them active against L. monocytogenes and S. aureus in all evaluated media. Escherichia coli was sensitive in liquid medium, micro-atmosphere and in situ, while S. Typhimurium showed sensitivity to the films in liquid medium and in situ. The in situ tests demonstrated that the affinity between nonpolar molecules of EO and the lipid components of cheese allows the EO of the polymer to migrate to food, indicating favorable characteristics for its use as active packaging, by direct contact.