Development and evaluation of chitosan-based biodegradable biocomposite films for environmentally friendly packaging of carrot candy.

Food packaging accounts for nearly half of fossil fuel derived plastics and is the main source of plastic waste polluting the environment. Hence, the current study aimed to develop chitosan-based biodegradable films reinforced with thyme essential oil (TEO), nanoclay (NC), zinc oxide (ZnO), calcium chloride (CaCl₂), and polyethylene glycol (PEG). Sixteen formulations were produced, with LDPE as control, and characterized for mechanical, barrier, thermal, antimicrobial, and biodegradability properties. The optimized film (T15: chitosan + TEO + nanoclay + ZnO + CaCl₂ + PEG) exhibited superior tensile strength (44.98 MPa), thermal stability (endothermic peak 129.86 °C; exothermic peak 297.21 °C), and the lowest oxygen transmission rate (1578.21 cm3/m2/day). Antifungal activity was strong, with inhibition zones up to 15.8 mm, and films degraded 92-96 % in 90 days, unlike intact LDPE. During six months of carrot candy storage, T15 maintained higher quality attributes (moisture 15.01 %, TSS 65.76 °B, acidity 0.061 %) and lower microbial load (2.22 log cfu/g).