Research Progress of Antibacterial Hydrogels in the Food Field

Hydrogel is a polymer material composed of a hydrophilic three-dimensional network structure, which can quickly absorb water, swell, and maintain the swollen state to avoid significant water loss. It can provide sufficient capacity to accommodate a variety of materials, including small molecules, polymers and particles, among which, those that exhibit antibacterial properties are called antibacterial hydrogels. Antibacterial hydrogels have been widely used in many fields, such as biomedicine, textile, chemical industry, agriculture, and tissue engineering. They have great application potential in food packaging, food quality indication, and food preservation, but have not attracted enough attention. According to the type of active ingredients, antibacterial hydrogels can be divided into three categories: Natural polymer antibacterial hydrogel, hydrogels loaded with inorganic/organic antibacterial substances, and antibacterial hydrogels containing light-activated or light-responsive materials. This review expounds on the antibacterial mechanism and application status of these three types of antibacterial hydrogels, in order to provide a broader idea for the application of hydrogels in the field of food to exert its antibacterial effect.