Bacterial Cellulose for Sustainable Food Packaging: Production Pathways, Structural Design, and Functional Modification Strategies
Turganova R. Tuleyeva R. Belkozhayev A. Gizatullina N. Yelemessova G. Taubatyrova A. Mussalimova M. Shynykul Z. Toleutay G.
December 2025Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI)
Polymers
2025#17Issue 23
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.
agro-waste , bacterial cellulose , bioeconomy , biopolymer , fermentation , food preservation , in situ and ex situ modification , sustainable packaging
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Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Geology and Oil-Gas Business Institute Named After K. Turyssov, Satbayev University, Almaty, 050043, Kazakhstan
Research Institute of Advanced Materials, Almaty, 040000, Kazakhstan
L2A, INRAE-USC 0340, ENSAIA Department, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Lorraine, Nancy, F-54000, France
Department of Chemistry, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, 37996, TN, United States
Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering
Research Institute of Advanced Materials
L2A
Department of Chemistry
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