Bio-based food packaging a sustainable alternative: availability, viability and legislation

With the ever so expanding food processing sector, the demands for food packaging materials have also been increasing. The most commonly used material in this area is obviously plastic as it is widely available, easy to process and economical. The environmental issues caused by plastics have led the research in the direction of suitable alternates. Biopolymers can be excellent alternatives to conventional polymers due to their biodegradability and bioavailability. The biopolymers are potentially multi-dimensional materials not just from the perspective of replacing conventional polymers in food packaging, but also in the ways we can incorporate biopolymers by understanding their characteristics and properties in the form of additives, edible film coatings, etc. Biopolymers can potentially be instrumental for food waste valorization. The article reviews the potential application of biopolymers in the food packaging industry from all the aspects. Starting from source of the materials, to the physical, mechanical and barrier properties, challenges in the processing as well as usage, challenges and future prospects, all the areas have been discussed. The article also discusses the legislations of major economies with regard to the application of biopolymers in food packaging.