Chitosan based antimicrobial films for food packaging applications

Antimicrobial packaging is one of the most promising active packaging systems. Antimicrobial packaging is the packaging system that is able to kill or inhibit spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms that are contaminating foods. A tremendous effort has been made over the last decade to develop and test films with antimicrobial properties to improve food safety and shelf life. For food preservation, chitosan films are very effective. Chitosan has widely been used in antimicrobial films, to provide edible protective coating, dipping and spraying for the food products due to its antimicrobial properties. Chitosan can be formed into fibers, films, gels, sponges, beads or nanoparticles. Chitosan films have been used as a packaging material for the quality preservation of a variety of food. Chitosan has great potential for a wide range of applications due to its biodegradability, biocompatibility, antimicrobial activity, non-toxicity and versatile chemical and physical properties. The present review outlines the preparation and antimicrobial activity of chitosan based films.