Fernandes, Isabel P.Leite, EricaVilas-Boas, DianaAmaral, Joana S.Barreiro, M.F.2014-09-152014-09-152012Fernandes, Isabel P.; Leite, Erica; Vilas-Boas, Diana; Amaral, J.S.; Barreiro, M.F. (2012). Production of chitosan based films enriched with oregano essential oil for increased antibacterial activity. In 11º Encontro de Química dos Alimentos. Bragançahttp://hdl.handle.net/10198/10442During the last years, there has been an increasing interest in developing bio-based active films to improve food safety, extend food shelf life and reduce the use of chemical preservatives [1]. Chitosan, a deacetylated derivative of chitin, is a linear polysaccharide consisting of β-(I⇒t4) glucosarnine and N-acetylglucosamine residues with potential to be used as a food packaging/coating material. This biopolymer can be used in a wide range of applications in the food industry due to several interesting properties such as its biodegradability, biocompatibility, non-toxicity, antimicrobial activity and versatile physical properties such as its film-forming capacity [I]. Recently, different strategies have been explored to improve its natural properties for the development of food packaging/coating materials with enhanced antimicrobial activity. In particular, the incorporation of essential oils (EO) with recognized antibacterial properties, as an alternative of synthetic preservatives, is a matter of great interest since they are generally perceived by consumers as being "natural" food additives.porconference object