Techniques for characterization of food-packaging materials

In the first three sections of this book, our colleagues have presented the current understanding and latest advances in the design and use of materials in food applications, particularly in food component encapsulation. So far in this book, discussions on materials science in the context of food packaging are comparably little. Starting from this chapter, which is also the first chapter of Section IV, we will focus our discussions mainly on the design, characterization, and use of food-packaging materials. As a matter of fact, food packaging is an important aspect of the food industry that has an impact on many aspects of the food product as well as the customer. To ensure quality and food safety, it is vital to choose the right packaging material. All physical and chemical properties, as well as their processability, can be used to identify polymers. The packaging material is being studied using various characterization techniques, such as electron microscopy, spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, water contact angle, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, etc. As a result, characterization techniques and instruments are critical for creating a food-packaging material. Characterization equipment has been extensively used by both the research community and industry in the development of packaging materials. In this chapter, we will focus our discussions on the significance of several characterization techniques for food-packaging materials, as well as the application of these technologies in recent research. The implementation of these techniques in the food-packaging industry will also be considered from an industrial perspective.