An overview of Edible Protein-Based Packaging: Main Sources, Advantages, Drawbacks, Recent Progressions and Food Applications

Abstract

Continuous challenges of non-biodegradability, non-renewability, non-biocompatibility and health concerns of petroleum-based packaging materials have shifted the focus of food industry towards edible biopolymer-based food packaging, specifically protein-based ones. Over the past decade, protein-based packaging have been comprehensively investigated more than other bio-based packaging materials, due to their biodegradability, availability and nutritional values. Protein film-forming components are isolated from various animal and plant sources such as animal muscles and tissues, milk, oilseeds and grains where each containing different composition, structure and functionality and for this reason the protein-based films would illustrate various mechanical, barrier, sensory and thermal properties. Currently, there could be several papers in regard to evaluation and comparison of protein-based packging, however this review would specifically discuss about the main film-forming proteins, strengths and limitations of each protein-based films as well as numerous studies related to rectification of these films, for the purpose of providing a beneficial overview to the scientists going forward. Moreover, the application of protein-based packaging in food industry have been detailed out in this paper for the first time.