Polyvinyl alcohol/silver nanocomposite films fabricated under the influence of solar radiation as effective antimicrobial food packaging material

As the demand for ready-made food is increasing, it is necessary to develop effective food packaging materials with antimicrobial activity to ensure microbiological safety of food. For this, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) based active food packaging material reinforced with silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) was prepared by solvent casting. Here, ginger rhizome extract was used as the reducing agent for the rapid in situ reduction of AgNO3 to AgNPs (gAgNPs) within the PVA matrix, under the influence of direct sunlight. Then the films were characterized by SEM, XRD, FTIR and UV-Vis spectrophotometry. Mechanical property analysis of PVA/gAgNP nanocomposite film showed its improved features when compared to neat PVA film. The presence of gAgNPs in the PVA/gAgNP film provided significant UV and light barrier properties together with profound antibacterial activity against the foodborne pathogen Salmonella Typhimurium and Staphylococcus aureus. Considering these excellent results, PVA/gAgNP film can expect to have promising food packaging application.