Structure-property correlations and environmental impact assessment of sustainable antibacterial food packaging films reinforced with fungal chitin nanofibrils

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A1 Alkuperäisartikkeli tieteellisessä aikakauslehdessä
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Date

2025-05

Department

Department of Chemical and Metallurgical Engineering
Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems

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Language

en

Pages

13

Series

Food Hydrocolloids, Volume 162

Abstract

This study develops sustainable, antibacterial food packaging films using carboxymethylcellulose and fungi-derived chitin nanofibrils (ChNFs) reinforced with clay to enhance mechanical strength, moisture resistance, and gas barrier properties. ChNFs significantly improve tensile strength and permeability by forming a dense, hydrogen-bonded network within the carboxymethylcellulose matrix. However, excessive ChNF content led to agglomeration, reducing mechanical performance slightly. At 30% ChNFs content, films demonstrated antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Listeria monocytogenes and also presented a 52.1 ± 3.2% degradation rate in four weeks. Life cycle assessment revealed a reduced carbon footprint (5.0–5.3 kg CO₂-equiv. per kg film) and low plastic litter generation (35–44 g/kg), underscoring environmental benefits compared to conventional packaging. These carboxymethylcellulose/ChNF-based films are a promising, eco-friendly alternative for food packaging applications, offering antibacterial properties and enhanced sustainability in the packaging of perishable food products.

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Keywords

Antibacterial films, Biodegradability, Carboxymethylcellulose, Food packaging, Life cycle assessment, Nanochitin

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DOI

10.1016/j.foodhyd.2024.110987

Citation

Baniasadi, H, Fathi, Z, Cruz, C D, Abidnejad, R, Tammela, P, Niskanen, J & Lizundia, E 2025, 'Structure-property correlations and environmental impact assessment of sustainable antibacterial food packaging films reinforced with fungal chitin nanofibrils', Food Hydrocolloids, vol. 162, 110987. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodhyd.2024.110987

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https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:aalto-202501101092

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[article-cris] Kemian tekniikan korkeakoulu / CHEM