CHITOSAN BASED BIO-FILMS IN FOOD TECHNOLOGY: A REVIEW

Abstract

Chitosan, which may be regarded the most prevalent polymer after cellulose, is derived from chitin. Because of these properties, in terms of applications from scientists and businessmen from divergent fields, chitosan alone or chitosan-based composite film development is attracting great interest. A large medley of plant extracts and supportive polymers has been incorporated into chitosan films to boost the biological (mainly antimicrobial and antioxidant) and physiological (mainly mechanical, thermal and barrier) properties of the chitosan-based films. Considering the up-to-date published studies focused on the development and implementation of chitosan film, it can be mentioned that the study ratio in this region is still poor. Only for particular applications in food technologies can chitosan blend/composite films with specific properties (super-hydrophobicity, excellent mechanical strength, appropriate barrier properties) be made. We tried to summarise the development made in the last 5-7 years in the field of chitosan film technology for its use in the food industry in the current study.