Feasibility studies of cellulose microfiber (CMF) reinforced poly(ethylene-co-vinyl acetate) (EVA) composites for food packaging applications

Recently, there has been increased interest in the extraction of cellulose microfiber (CMF)/nanofibers from plant sources and their utilization as fillers in polymers. These natural fibers are characterized by good mechanical, thermal, and biodegradability properties. The present work was aimed at studying the feasibility of these fiber-reinforced polymer in food packaging. Poly(ethylene-co-vinyl acetate) (EVA) is a common food packaging material used in refrigerated items. The CMF/EVA composite films were exposed to milk, curd, and orange juice at fixed time intervals at three different temperatures and the microbial growth profile in the food material was evaluated. The incorporation of CMF in EVA was found to have no impact on the microbial contamination or proliferation of microbial growth in the food materials.