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Abstract
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The role of plastic packaging in protecting food is quite significant, but problems such as its non-biodegradable nature, recycling issues, and the entry of harmful chemicals into the food matrix and soil create serious concerns for human health and the environment. Plastic recycling is often not economically viable because of food packaging contamination issues. Therefore, special attention is needed to replace plastic packaging with environmentally friendly biodegradable packaging [1]. Chitosan is the deacetylated derivative of chitin which is the second most abundant polysaccharide found in crab, shrimp shells, and fungal mycelia. Chitosan is a polycationic polymer with a large amount of primary amines showing useful properties including biocompatibility, biodegradability, adsorption activity, and antimicrobial ability [2].
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