Characteristic Improvement of a Carrageenan-Based Bionanocomposite Polymer Film Containing Montmorillonite as Food Packaging through the Addition of Silver and Cerium Oxide Nanoparticles

Plastic has become an essential ingredient in social life, especially in its function as food packaging. An increase in plastic consumption can have a big impact, especially on environmental issues, because of the plastic waste produced. Substituting petroleum-based plastic with bionanocomposites can be done to reduce the impact of environmental issues caused by plastic waste. The purpose of this study is to produce nanoparticle-incorporated bioplastics, which can be applied as alternative food packaging, especially as petroleum-based plastic substitutes, and as food packaging that has added value in the form of antimicrobial properties. In addition, nanoparticles are also intended to improve the characteristics of bioplastics such as improving mechanical properties and film permeability as well as increasing the barrier properties of bioplastics against ultraviolet rays that can damage packaged food. Bionanocomposites with modified forms were investigated by various characterization such as Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), mechanical property testing of bioplastics as well as analysis of water vapor permeability (WVP), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), UV-visible spectrophotometry (UV-vis), and antimicrobial testing. Visible improvement of mechanical and UV barrier properties was seen in bionanocomposites with the addition of cerium nanoparticles. Furthermore, we have also demonstrated the antibacterial activity properties of nanoparticle-loaded bionanocomposites, which can add value to their use as food packaging. These results indicate that carrageenan-based bionanocomposites have a high potential for positive application in food packaging to ensure food safety and extend the shelf life of packaged foods.