Improving bacterial cellulose films by ex-situ and in-situ modifications: A review

The high intake of plastic materials for food packaging causes environmental problems due to the non-biodegradable properties of these materials. High, low and very low-density polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polyvinyl chloride, polystyrene and polypropylene are the main materials used. Biodegradable polymers from natural sources are potential raw materials to develop novel food packaging. Bacterial cellulose is a material with extraordinary properties that is gaining special interest for applications in the Food Industry. The excellent mechanical properties, thermal stability and barrier to water vapor, oxygen and UV radiation of bacterial cellulose compared to other polysaccharides make this material very attractive and a potential alternative to non-biodegradable synthetic materials. Nevertheless, bacterial cellulose films are limited due to their lower elasticity. Therefore, the aim of this review is to provide an overview of the ex-situ and in-situ modifications of bacterial cellulose to improve its properties for the development of films for food packaging.