Characterization of Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA) as Antimicrobial Biocomposite Film: A Review

Packaging is a critical process in the food industry because it is used to prevent spoilage, extend shelf-life, and provide an attractive presentation of the food product. Plastic packaging is used all over the world, and its production is increasing year after year. It comes in a variety of colours and designs. However, it has caused serious environmental problems, particularly to the ocean that has become a place for discarded plastic packaging. To address this issue, biodegradable packaging was developed to replace the use of plastic packaging because it helps to reduce environmental impact and waste management costs. Biodegradable packaging is also known as environmentally friendly packaging because it can be degraded into carbon dioxide, water, inorganic compounds, and biomass by microorganisms, algae, fungi, as well as enzyme catalysts. Biodegradable biocomposite film such as starch, cellulose, chitosan, and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) is required to produce biodegradable packaging. Therefore, this paper aims to characterize PVA as a biocomposite film in biodegradable packaging. PVA has excellent properties to form films, as well as biodegradable, abundant in the environment, and cost-effective. However, it has some limitations in terms of thickness and mechanical properties; thus, the incorporation of PVA with essential oils and fiber is required to improve its mechanical properties, thickness, and provide antimicrobial properties to the packaging.