Bacterial Cellulose in Food Packaging: A Bibliometric Analysis and Review of Sustainable Innovations and Prospects

The scientific community has explored new packaging materials owing to environmental challenges and pollution from plastic waste. Bacterial cellulose (BC), produced by bacteria like Gluconacetobacter xylinus, shows high potential for food preservation owing to its exceptional mechanical strength, hi...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Processes 2024-09, Vol.12 (9), p.1975
Main Authors: Infante-Neta, Aida Aguilera, D’Almeida, Alan Portal, Albuquerque, Tiago Lima de
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Agricultural wastes
Antimicrobial agents
Bacteria
Bibliometrics
Biodegradation
Biopolymers
Canada
Cellulose
Cellulosic resins
Circular economy
Climate change
Composite materials
Cost analysis
Environmental impact
Environmental protection
Environmental sustainability
Food
Food industry
Food packaging
Food preservation
Green technology
Keywords
Mechanical properties
Natural resources
Packaging
Packaging industry
Packaging materials
Plastic debris
Plastic pollution
R&D
Research & development
Research methodology
Shelf life
Sustainability
Sustainable materials
Toxicity
Trends
Citations: Items that this one cites
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:The scientific community has explored new packaging materials owing to environmental challenges and pollution from plastic waste. Bacterial cellulose (BC), produced by bacteria like Gluconacetobacter xylinus, shows high potential for food preservation owing to its exceptional mechanical strength, high crystallinity, and effective barrier properties against gases and moisture, making it a promising alternative to conventional plastics. This review highlights recent advances in BC production, particularly agro-industrial residues, which reduce costs and enhance environmental sustainability. Incorporating antimicrobial agents into BC matrices has also led to active packaging solutions that extend food shelf-life and improve safety. A bibliometric analysis reveals a significant increase in research on BC over the last decade, reflecting growing global interest. Key research themes include the development of BC-based composites and the exploration of their antimicrobial properties. Critical areas for future research include improving BC production’s scalability and economic viability and the integration of BC with other biopolymers. These developments emphasize BC’s potential as a sustainable packaging material and its role in the circular economy through waste valorization.
ISSN:2227-9717
2227-9717
DOI:10.3390/pr12091975