Zein/eugenol electrospun mats on gelatin/laponite substrate for developing bilayer functional food packaging

Petroleum-based food packaging causes substantial environmental damage through waste accumulation and microplastic pollution. Therefore, replacing it with biodegradable polymers to extend the shelf life of food products is highly desirable. In this work, a bilayer functional composite with barrier properties and antimicrobial activity was developed for pork preservation. The outer barrier layer of gelatin/laponite (Ge/La) was fabricated by the casting method, while the inner antimicrobial layer of zein/eugenol (ZN/Eu) was prepared through direct electrospinning on Ge/La. The incorporation of La enhanced the thermal stability, mechanical strength, and moisture barrier of the outer layer, while the encapsulation of Eu endowed the inner layer with excellent antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. Furthermore, the Eu release from ZN/Eu fibers was found to follow Fickian diffusion. The bilayer composite of Ge/La@ZN/Eu can prolong pork shelf life by 1 d at 25 °C, demonstrating its great potential in active food packaging.