Effect of citral incorporation on the antimicrobial, barrier, mechanical, and UV-protective properties of pectin-beeswax films for food packaging applications

• Citral incorporation improves the UV-blocking and antimicrobial properties of pectin-beeswax films, enhancing their potential for active food packaging. • The mechanical and barrier properties of active pectin-beeswax films are citral concentration-dependent, with 1% citral improving flexibility and moisture resistance, while higher concentrations (1.5%) weaken the film structure. • The antimicrobial efficacy of citral is more pronounced in high-moisture foods, but its effectiveness is limited in low-moisture systems like hazelnuts, underscoring the importance of water activity in its performance. Incorporating active compounds into packaging films is a promising approach for improving their mechanical and physical properties while also showing desirable antimicrobial functionality. Citral (CI) is an active compound with the potential to improve food packaging functionality. This study aimed to evaluate the impacts of CI on the structural, physical, mechanical, and antimicrobial properties of pectin-beeswax composite films. The results indicated that the incorporation of CI significantly influenced the films' optical, physical, mechanical, and antimicrobial properties. The sample with 1.5% CI exhibited the highest opacity (22.61 ± 0.65), while the control sample had the lowest opacity (10.09 ± 0.65). Atomic Force Microscopy images revealed that increasing CI concentration (from 1% to 1.5%) led to a notable increase in surface roughness (R a ). Additionally, water vapor permeability increased with higher CI concentrations. Mechanical results showed that unlike the incorporation of 1.5% CI, the presence of 1% CI improved the flexibility of the composite films. As well as significantly reducing the UV protection of pectin-beeswax films (approximately 77%). The antimicrobial activity of pectin-beeswax composite films with 1% CI was evaluated in both food model and real systems. The log reduction values against L. innocua (3.07 Log) and E. coli (2.46 Log) were significantly more than those observed in the solid food model system ( p < 0.05). Furthermore, the antimicrobial efficacy of the applied coating on sausage proved more effective than that applied on fresh hazelnut. Based on these findings, pectin-beeswax composite films containing 1% CI are proposed as a promising food packaging material with UV-protective and antimicrobial properties for coating on sausage.