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Bacterial Cellulose for Sustainable Food Packaging: Production Pathways, Structural Design, and Functional Modification Strategies
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This systematic review following PRISMA principles analyzed bacterial cellulose (BC) biosynthesis, structural organization, and modification approaches for food packaging applications, covering literature from 1960 to November 2025. The review found that BC-based composites can reduce oxygen and moisture permeability, strengthen films, and prolong food shelf life while remaining biodegradable, though high cost and lengthy fermentation remain key challenges.
Global concern over food waste and plastic pollution highlights the urgent need for sustainable, high-performance materials that can replace petroleum-based plastics. Bacterial cellulose (BC), a biopolymer synthesized through microbial fermentation by Komagataeibacter and related genera, shows exceptional purity, mechanical strength, biodegradability, and structural tunability. Following PRISMA principles, this review analyzed studies from PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science covering the period 1960-November 2025. Search terms included "bacterial cellulose", "Komagataeibacter", "Gluconacetobacter", "static culture", "agitated culture", "in situ modification", "ex situ modification", "fermentation", and "food packaging". Inclusion and exclusion criteria ensured that only relevant and high-quality publications were considered. The article summarizes major developments in BC biosynthesis, structural organization, and modification approaches that enhance mechanical, barrier, antioxidant, and antimicrobial properties for food packaging. Recent advances in in situ and ex situ functionalization are discussed together with progress achieved through synthetic biology, green chemistry, and material engineering. Evidence shows that BC-based composites can reduce oxygen and moisture permeability, strengthen films, and prolong food shelf life while maintaining biodegradability. Remaining challenges such as high cost, lengthy fermentation, and regulatory uncertainty require coordinated strategies focused on metabolic optimization, circular bioeconomy integration, and standardized safety frameworks to unlock BC's full industrial potential.
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Bacterial Cellulose in Food Packaging: A Bibliometric Analysis and Review of Sustainable Innovations and Prospects
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This review explores bacterial cellulose as a biodegradable, biocompatible alternative to conventional plastic food packaging, which contributes to micro- and nanoplastic pollution that threatens both the environment and human health. While bacterial cellulose shows strong potential due to its mechanical strength and food preservation abilities, scaling up production remains a challenge due to higher costs and manufacturing difficulties.
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Researchers synthesized plasticized bacterial cellulose films in situ and characterized their mechanical, optical, and barrier properties for daily packaging applications, finding the bio-based materials offered competitive performance with lower environmental impact than petroleum-based alternatives.
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