Bio-Nanocomposites for Food Packaging Applications

Plastics are highly versatile materials that have been widely used in packaging for food and non-food applications. However, since they are non-biodegradable, their waste causes a risk to human health and extensive environmental problems. Concerns about environmental pollution caused by non-biodegradable plastic packaging materials and consumer demand for high-quality food products have increased interest in developing biodegradable packaging materials that use annually renewable natural biopolymers such as polysaccharides and proteins. However, the inherent disadvantages of natural polymer-based packaging materials, such as low mechanical properties and somewhat hydrophilic properties, are leading to major limitations for their industrial applications. One of the ways to solve the problem of bio-polymeric films is to develop nanocomposite films by combining nano-sized fillers such as nanoclays, nanometals or metal oxides, and nanocellulose. Polymer nanocomposites have significantly improved packaging properties due to nanometer-sized dispersion. These improvements include increased mechanical strength, reduced gas permeability, and increased water resistance. Also, some nanoparticles-incorporated bio-nanocomposite films exhibit additional functional properties such as antimicrobial, antioxidant, and UV-light barrier properties. As a result, natural bio-polymer-based nanocomposite packaging materials with bio-functional properties have great potential for active food packaging applications.