Abstract
Nanotechnology has provided new opportunities for the food industry with its applications in food packaging. The addition of nanoparticles, such as clay, silver and copper, can improve the mechanical and antimicrobial properties of food packaging. However, nanoparticles may have an adverse impact on human health. This has led to legislative and regulatory concerns. The inhibitory effects of nano packaging on different microorganisms, such as Salmonella, E. coli, and molds, have been studied. Nanoparticles, like other materials, may have a diverse set of properties that need to be determined. In this review, different features of silver, clay and copper nanoparticles, such as their anti-microbial, cell toxicity, genetic toxicity, mechanical properties, and migration, are critically evaluated in the case of food packaging. Specifically, the viewpoints of WHO, FDA, and ESFA, concerning the nano-silver application in food packaging, are discussed as well.
Highlights
Polymer plastics are derived from petrochemicals, such as polyethylene, which is categorized as either high-density polyethylene (HDPE) or low-density polyethylene (LDPE); and polypropylene, polystyrene, and polyvinyl chloride are used for food packaging [6,7,8]
The packaging process can be a source of chemical contamination of foods, the amount of materials in packaging that migrates to the food surface is an important factor in food packaging
Some of these studies have experimentally demonstrated migration levels to be less than the permitted threshold
Summary
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. Food packaging aims to preserve the original quality of food products as a medium between products and the outside environment It provides consumers with information about the product. Active packaging using nanotechnology is being used to improve the quality and safety of food [12,13]. Such packaging can react to environmental conditions, such as temperature and moisture changes, and may in the future make consumers aware of the existence of contamination, pathogenic microorganisms and toxic materials. The important point is that the nanoparticles used in packaging might migrate into the food Their effect on food safety and human health must be considered [31,32,33,34]
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