Importance of gelatin, nanoparticles and their interactions in the formulation of biodegradable composite films: a review

This study reviews the importance of gelatin, nanoparticles and their interactions in the formulation of biodegradable composite films. Gelatin is widely used in packaging because of its unique characteristics, i.e., film-forming ability and barrier properties. However, high moisture sensitivity and hydrophilic nature of gelatin restrict its application in food packaging. Therefore, gelatin is used in the formulation of composite films with better functional and barrier properties for food packing. The incorporation of nanoparticles (NPs) in gelatin film-forming solution improves the mechanical, thermal, barrier and optical characteristics of gelatin composite films. Furthermore, this review compiles the functional properties of gelatin extracted from different sources and functional characteristics of gelatin composite films incorporated with different NPs.