14 - Polyhydroxyalkanoates-based bionanocomposites for food packaging applications

Abstract

Food packaging is one of the key steps involved in the food industry, the purpose of which is mechanical support, increased shelf life, and preservation of food. For the longest time, petroleum-based polymers like polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polyvinylchloride, and polyamides have been used for the packaging of food. However, the migration of toxic ingredients from packaging material to the food product and its detrimental impact on the environment make these polymers less desirable. Therefore, bioplastics like polyhydroxyalkanoates are considered one of the best alternatives for food packaging applications. Features like biodegradability, hydrophobicity, nontoxicity, nonlinear optical activity, thermoplasticity and impermeability to gases and water make it a promising biopolymer. To further enhance the properties of these biopolymers, blending can be done using addition of nanofillers leading to the production of innovative bionanocomposites thereby producing a polymer with improved properties and performance. In the future, bionanocomposites will be successful in completely replacing nonbiodegradable polymers as they will produce sustainable and eco-friendly food packaging materials.