Modification in cellulose films through ascent cold plasma treatment and polymerization for food products packaging

Cellulose is the most abundant, water-insoluble, bio-derived, and fibrous polymer on earth. Cellulose is a significant packaging material due to its oxygen and water barrier properties. The beginning of the 21st century has perceived an increasing demand for safe and nontoxic packaging materials in the food industry. Food industries adopt non-thermal and novel food packaging technologies. Cold plasma is one of the non-thermal processing methods for food modification and preservation, which uses highly reactive, charged gaseous species and molecules to deactivate harmful microorganisms on packaging materials and foods. This review aims to determine the prospective applications of cold plasma in food packaging, emphasizing the current trends and research in this area. This review also highlights the enhanced surface modification, water, and oxygen barrier properties, functionalization of cellulose, and action mechanism of cold plasma treatment and polymerization. Cold plasma is an effective technique in sanitizing packaging material to inactivate foodborne pathogens, prevent microbial growth in dairy, meat, and seafood, and delay the browning in fruits and vegetables. The surface modification of cellulose is used effectively as packaging materials and other polymers such as polylactic acid (PLA) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Cold plasma is generated on wrapped packages, allowing it to extend and localize the action ability of reactive species on microorganisms. The non-thermal, versatility design, environmentally and economical friendly nature of CP proposes unique advantages compared to traditional packaging technologies. Cellulose and cellulose derivatives are the most abundantly utilized polymers in the packaging industry. Major applications of cold plasma in the food industry include food quality improvement, toxin degradation, food decontamination, and surface modifications of packaging materials like cellulose. Innovative packaging solutions can be made by integration of cold plasma with cellulose and combination with other polymers like PET and PLA with significant anti-microbial potential.