Curdlan-Based Composites: Advances in Functionalization and Sustainable Food Packaging Applications

Recent trends in food packaging research emphasize the development of sustainable alternatives to conventional petroleum-based materials driven by increasing environmental concerns and regulatory pressures. In particular, curdlan, a microbial biopolymer, has garnered significant attention for its potential applications in food packaging due to its biodegradability, film-forming ability, and functional versatility. However, ensuring its industrial viability requires enhancing the inherent functional properties of pure curdlan through various targeted modification strategies. Within this context, the present review aims to critically summarize and evaluate recent advances in curdlan-based systems for food packaging applications. This review offers a comprehensive overview of curdlan's microbial origin, chemical structure, and modification techniques, as well as its emerging role in sustainable food packaging. It further addresses recent progress in improving curdlan's functionality and physicochemical characteristics, especially in the context of active packaging systems. Through chemical modification, bioactive incorporation, nanotechnology, and advanced film casting, curdlan-based biopolymers have been significantly improved, positioning them as promising alternatives to synthetic packaging materials. The scope of this review also includes a discussion of current challenges and future perspectives related to the practical implementation of curdlan-based packaging systems. Recent studies extend curdlan's applications beyond packaging to hydrogels and drug delivery and emphasize its versatility, reinforcing key insights into food packaging and coatings.