Plodia interpunctella is a major storage pest that penetrates into food packaging and causes serious economic losses, as well as posing health risks. The goal of this study was to develop effective anti-insect polymer strips against P. interpunctella by using plant essential oil (EO) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). The EO of cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum, CO) bark was used as an insect repellent, and fumigant mortality and the repellent activity of CO were measured to evaluate subsistent anti-insect properties through newly designed traps. Repellent activity was also examined with several foods to simulate the storage environment. The mortality rate with CO after fumigation for 120 h was 63%. In the repellent assay, CO-treated strips, but not control strips, effectively repelled P. interpunctella in both "with foods" and "without foods" groups. A PVA-CO strip sachet (PCO sachet) was developed to control the volatility of CO, and the PCO sachet demonstrated robust repellent activity. The loading contents of CO at the center and edges of strips were 39.41% and 39.59%, respectively, and through the results of FT-IR, it inferred that CO was physically diffused in the PVA polymer matrix, not forming chemical bonds. In a release test using a gas chromatography, the PCO sachet showed remarkable controlled release of CO. These results demonstrate that the anti-insect effects of CO can be maintained throughout the distribution and storage periods of foods using PCO sachets.
Keywords: Plodia interpunctella; anti-insect sachet; cinnamon oil; polyvinyl alcohol.
© 2013 Institute of Food Technologists®