Production of Low-Cost Nano-Functionalized Bacterial Cellulose Films for Smart/Intelligent Packaging

Abstract

Petroleum-derived polymers, such as polyethylene and polypropylene, are commonly used in food packing industries knowing the fact that these polymers cause serious threats to the ecosystem. Therefore, the development of low-cost, environmentally friendly, and biodegradable polymers to address this issue is an urgent need of the hour. Bacterial nanocellulose (BNC), with its extraordinary and differentiated properties, is gaining special attention in the food packaging industry. To reduce the cost, several low-cost substrates are utilized for the production of BNC. Therefore, the present study is focused on the production of low-cost BNC and its subsequent functionalization for smart packaging applications.

Keywords

• bacterial cellulose
• low-cost substrates
• halochromic materials
• nanomaterials
• freshness indicator