Active Edible Films and Coatings Containing Cinnamon Essential Oils: A Review on Properties and Application in Food Packaging

The use of chemical preservatives and their adverse effects on consumer health, have been caused concerns for health authorities and consumers. As a result, the food producers are thinking about safe and healthier methods for preparation of foods by using natural or green preservatives instead of the synthetic chemicals. One of these methods is using essential oils and plant extracts as natural antibacterial additives. Cinnamon essential oils is a good source of antifungal, antimicrobial and strong antioxidant compounds that can prevent the growth of microorganisms which caused spoilage. Recently the tendency to use active edible coatings and films in food packaging has been increased drastically because of their positive effect on increasing the shelf life of products. In this review paper, the properties of cinnamon essential oils and its effect on the properties of edible films and coatings have been discussed and also the application of active films containing cinnamon essential oil in the food packaging and their effect on increasing the shelf life of different food products have been reviewed.