Novel ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer (EVOH) films containing beta-cyclodextrins (beta CD) with potential application in active food packaging have been tested as materials for the preferential retention of undesired food components. The films were immersed on pasteurized milk and UHT milk and stored at 4 and 23 degrees C, respectively. The films containing beta CD presented a significant reduction in cholesterol concentration, achieving a 23% reduction in UHT milk exposed to EVOH films containing 30% beta CD. Despite the immobilization of the beta CD and the large molecular size of cholesterol, 15% of the beta CD molecules added to the films were involved in the formation of beta CD/cholesterol inclusion complexes. In another set of experiments, the films were used to reduce the presence of aldehydes (substances which develop as a result of oxidative processes) in packaged fried peanuts. The films containing beta CD brought a significant reduction in hexanal, reaching a 50% decrease over short periods (1-5 weeks). At longer storage times (10 weeks) the retention capacity of the developed films was exhausted and no differences were observed between the samples. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.