Antimicrobial Properties of Nanocomposite Films for Food Packaging Applications

Abstract

Nanocomposites are a heterogeneous group of materials composed of polymers with inorganic materials at the nanoscale level. These materials are gaining much attention due to their advantages over petroleum-based products. The reinforcement of nanomaterials has led to the improvement of the overall performance of the material. These mainly involve the improvement in mechanical, thermal, chemical resistance, antimicrobial, antioxidant, gas, light, and water barrier properties. Due to these, nanocomposites have applications in several industrial sectors such as food, medical, automotive, and battery applications. Hence, this chapter is concerned with an overview of nanocomposites, their properties, polymer nanocomposites based on chitosan, cellulose, starch, alginate, and lignin, and their application in food packaging. © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.