Antimicrobial Food Packaging with Biodegradable Polymers and Bacteriocins

Abstract

Innovations in food and drink packaging result mainly from the needs and requirements of consumers, which are influenced by changing global trends. Antimicrobial and active packaging are at the forefront of current research and development for food packaging. One of the few natural polymers on the market with antimicrobial properties is biodegradable and biocompatible chitosan. It is formed as a result of chitin deacetylation. Due to these properties, the production of chitosan alone or a composite film based on chitosan is of great interest to scientists and industrialists from various fields. Chitosan films have the potential to be used as a packaging material to maintain the quality and microbiological safety of food. In addition, chitosan is widely used in antimicrobial films against a wide range of pathogenic and food spoilage microbes. Polylactic acid (PLA) is considered one of the most promising and environmentally friendly polymers due to its physical and chemical properties, including renewable, biodegradability, biocompatibility, and is considered safe (GRAS). There is great interest among scientists in the study of PLA as an alternative food packaging film with improved properties to increase its usability for food packaging applications. The aim of this review article is to draw attention to the existing possibilities of using various components in combination with chitosan, PLA, or bacteriocins to improve the properties of packaging in new food packaging technologies. Consequently, they can be a promising solution to improve the quality, delay the spoilage of packaged food, as well as increase the safety and shelf life of food.

Applications of Lactic Acid Bacteria and Their Bacteriocins against Food Spoilage Microorganisms and Foodborne Pathogens

“…Active packaging such as vacuum packaging, active scavenging, and modified atmosphere packaging, are currently employed to increase the strength of normal packaging of highly perishable food including fresh produce, fish, and meat [73]. Bacteriocin incorporation in edible coatings or films has been shown to represent a promising alternative for preserving the microbiological safety and sensory properties of foods that are consumed raw or without further cooking [74].…”

Thermal Stability and Decomposition Mechanism of PLA Nanocomposites with Kraft Lignin and Tannin

“…The extended range of its applications can be outlined by its use from the biomedical and bioengineering field [5][6][7] to packaging and everyday-life products [1,[8][9][10]. In a more specific context, this aliphatic polyester has been employed for the construction of 3D-printed structures utilized Polymers 2021, 13, 2818 2 of 16 to fulfil several purposes [11][12][13], whereas its application for the preparation of materials with advanced antimicrobial and antioxidant surfaces should also be highlighted [8,[14][15][16].…”

Polymer Conjugates of Antimicrobial Peptides (AMPs) with d-Amino Acids (d-aa): State of the Art and Future Opportunities

“…Lantibiotics are a subclass of bacteriocins which are produced from lactic acid bacteria. They have attracted interest mainly in the food industry as alternatives to synthetic preservatives, which have raised safety concerns [99]. They have attracted interest also as antibiotic substitutes for veterinary use, while their clinical use on humans has been hampered by high production costs, limited stability, and insufficient toxicity studies [100].…”