# Innovative Biobased Active Composites of Cellulose Acetate Propionate with Tween 80 and Cinnamic Acid for Blueberry Preservation

## TL;DR

This paper introduces a new biobased composite film made from cellulose acetate propionate and cinnamic acid to preserve blueberries by blocking UV light and killing bacteria.

## Contribution

The novel use of cellulose acetate propionate with Tween 80 and cinnamic acid for food packaging is reported for the first time.

## Key findings

- Cinnamic acid addition significantly improved UV barrier properties, blocking 100% of UVB radiation.
- Modified films showed over 99% antibacterial activity against E. coli, S. aureus, and P. aeruginosa.
- Films maintained high transparency (97–99%) even after adding cinnamic acid.

## Abstract

In order to develop modern polymer films intended for food packaging, materials based on cellulose acetate propionate (CAP) with the addition of Tween 80 as a plasticizer and cinnamic acid (CA), known for its antibacterial properties, were prepared. It should be emphasized that materials based on CAP combined with Tween 80 have not been previously reported in the literature. Therefore, not only is the incorporation of cinnamic acid into these systems an innovative approach, but also the use of the CAP-Tween80 matrix itself represents a novel strategy in the context of the proposed applications. The conducted studies made it possible to assess the properties of the obtained materials with and without the addition of cinnamic acid. The obtained results showed that the addition of cinnamic acid significantly influenced the crucial properties relevant to food storage. The introduction of CA into the polymer matrix notably enhanced the UV barrier properties achieving complete (100%) blockage of UVB radiation and approximately a 20% reduction of UVA transmittance. Furthermore, the modified films exhibited pronounced antibacterial activity, with over 99% reduction in Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa populations observed for samples containing 2 and 3% CA. This antibacterial effect contributed to the extended freshness of stored blueberries. Moreover, the addition of cinnamic acid did not significantly affect the transparency of the films, which remained high (97–99%), thereby allowing the fruit to remain visible.