Postbiotics in active food packaging: The contribution of cellulose nanocomposites

The food and pharmaceutical industries have developed innovative products containing probiotics, prebiotics, and synbiotics. According to International Scientific Association of Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP), 'postbiotics' are preparations of inanimate microorganisms and/or their components which have host health benefits. Postbiotic preparations contain short-chain fatty acids, exopolysaccharides, vitamins, enzymes, bacteriocins, and theic acid. Various postbiotics improve human and animal health. In addition, there is evidence of their action as a food bio-preservative. Food packaging is important in food products protection from environmental damage and microbial contamination. Natural active agents are proxy to chemical agents in food packaing, attributed to consumer demand and awareness. Natural biopolymers have become the subject of much interest as they reduce environmental problems due to their abundance, biocompatibility, biodegradability, chemical stability and non-toxicity. Cellulose nanostructures with physicochemical and antibacterial properties have been widely studied for diverse applications, including food packaging to extend the shelf life of packaged food products. In this context, the present review proposes to provide a thorough discussion on production technologies, characterization, biological activities and possible applications of postbiotics in active food packaging based on cellulose nanocomposites.