From ensuring that food remains fresh for a longer time to extending its shelf life for future consumption – the role of food packaging in modern society is indispensable. Conventional food packaging plastics are sturdy and highly effective at keeping oxygen out, one of the main drivers of food spoilage. Unfortunately, however, widely used materials, such as those used in everyday wrappers and containers, can persist in the environment for decades after disposal. As concerns over plastic waste continue to grow in the world today, scientists are seeking safe and eco-friendly alternatives that can preserve food effectively while also offering improved biodegradability after use.
Plant-based biodegradable plastics, such as polylactic acid (PLA), are a promising alternative, but fall short of conventional plastics; they typically do not block oxygen as well, nor do they hold up mechanically. Researchers have tried introducing additives to improve their strength or make them actively scavenge oxygen. However, these two enhancements are rarely combined and tested together. The real challenge lies in building a biodegradable plastic that actively manages oxygen while maintaining the strength and functionality required for food packaging.
With this goal in mind, Professor Andi Dirpan and his team at Hasanuddin University, Indonesia, have developed multilayer PLA-based films reinforced with microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) and enhanced with an oxygen-scavenging compound, butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT). This innovative biodegradable material combines oxygen-scavenging functionality with enhanced mechanical performance, offering a promising alternative to conventional plastics.
Their work was made available online on May 5, 2026, and will be published in Volume 6 of ASEAN Journal for Science and Engineering in Materials on March 1, 2027.
A notable aspect of this work was the selection of cellulose source. Rather than using cellulose from wood or crops, the researchers produced bacterial cellulose from fermented coconut water, mimicking the process used to make ‘nata de coco,’ a jelly-like food produced by fermented coconut water. Why? Well, because bacterial cellulose is highly pure and rich in fiber, making it an effective reinforcing component. During fermentation, the bacteria produced a dense cellulose membrane, which the researchers purified and processed into MCC powder for use as an additive. It was then blended into a PLA film built in three thin layers, with the oxygen scavenger BHT placed only in the two inner layers that would face the food.
The team tested films made with different amounts of MCC powder and compared their coconut water-derived cellulose (MCC nata de coco) to a common commercial alternative (MCC avicel pH 102). Adding more cellulose made the films mechanically stronger and lowered the amount of oxygen that could pass through. However, it also made the films denser and noticeably stiffer. At a microscopic level, MCC nata de coco produced a more uniform, defect-free structure than the commercial alternative, which the researchers attributed to its higher purity and fiber content. Oxygen permeability tests also showed the resulting film performed better than plain PLA.
Notably, the film broke down quickly and steadily when buried in soil. “ The biodegradation rate was found to be 28.86% over 25 days ,” explains Prof. Dirpan. Adding further, he says, “ These results show that the level of biodegradation is in accordance with that of biodegradable plastics made from similar polymers, which is over 25% within a period of 25 days .”
Through careful analysis of the relationship between structure, properties, and functions, the study highlighted an important trade-off. Although the reinforced film showed improved stiffness and useful oxygen-scavenging properties, it was brittle and did not stretch well before breaking. This matters because packaging materials must protect food while withstanding manufacturing, transport, and day-to-day handling. Simply put, the results show that combining reinforcing and oxygen-scavenging additives in a multilayer biodegradable system is promising, but the balance between barrier performance and flexibility still needs improvement.
Overall, this research provides useful design criteria for creating truly ecological plastics for food packaging in the future. As is evident from the bibliometric analysis conducted by the team, there has been an exponential growth in studies on advanced packaging technologies, driven by increasing demand for sustainable and functional materials. Against this backdrop, the efforts by the team of researchers led by Prof. Dirpan at Hasanuddin University are truly meaningful. Sharing his concluding thoughts, Prof. Dirpan says, “ Our approach supports sustainable food packaging development and contributes to United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly responsible production (SDG 12), climate action (SDG 13), and food preservation (SDG 2). ”
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Reference
Title of original paper: Multilayer Oxygen-Scavenging Biodegradable Polylactic Acid Films Reinforced with Microcrystalline Cellulose and Butylated Hydroxytoluene: Experimental Study of Structure-Property-Function Relationships Completed with Bibliometric Analysis toward Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Journal: ASEAN Journal for Science and Engineering in Materials
URL: https://ejournal.bumipublikasinusantara.id/index.php/ajsem/article/view/946
About Hasanuddin University, Indonesia
Hasanuddin University (Universitas Hasanuddin or Unhas) is one of Indonesia’s largest autonomous universities, located in Makassar. Established on September 10, 1956, and named after Sultan Hasanuddin of the Gowa Kingdom, the university has grown into a major center for higher education with 17 faculties, including medicine, engineering, law, agriculture, and natural sciences. Its origins date back to 1947 with an economics faculty linked to the University of Indonesia. Today, Unhas focuses on advancing science, technology, arts, and culture, with a strong emphasis on the Indonesian Maritime Continent, aiming to develop innovative and globally competitive graduates.
Learn more, here: https://www.unhas.ac.id/about/
About Professor Andi Dirpan from Hasanuddin University, Indonesia
Dr. Andi Dirpan is a Professor at the Faculty of Agricultural Technology at Hasanuddin University, Indonesia. He specializes in post-harvest technology, fruit quality, agriculture technology products, and smart packaging. Dr. Dirpan has published more than 100 papers in reputed journals till date, which have been cited more than 1900 times.
Funding information
This research was supported by the RIIM LPDP and BRIN Grants, with grant numbers 113/IV/KS/07/2025 and 3259/UN4.1.7/PT.01.03/2025.
Experimental study
Not applicable
1-Mar-2027
The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest regarding the publication of this article.