Since the intense aroma, the potential toxicity and the extraction costs limit the direct use of EOs in food preservation, the
reduction of the doses to be applied to food matrixes is the clue to be pursued to extensively apply EOs. The use of edible coatings as carriers of antimicrobial compounds could be an alternative tool to contrast food spoilage and/or pathogen agents and, at the same time, to reduce the amount of EOs to be applied in the food.