Nanocomposites applications in food packaging- a review

Abstract

Most materials currently used for food packaging are non-degradable, causing environmental problems. Several biopolymers have been exploited to develop materials for environmentally friendly food packaging. However, the use of biopolymers is limited by their generally poor mechanical and barrier properties, which can be improved by forming reinforcing compounds (fillers) and composites. Most reinforced materials exhibit poor matrix-filler interactions, which will enhance with decreasing filler. Nanocomposites can be produced using fillers with at least one nanoscale dimension (nanoparticles). Nanoparticles have a proportionally larger surface area than their microscale counterparts, which favors filler-matrix interactions and the performance of the resulting materials. In addition to nano reinforcements, nanoparticles can perform other functions when incorporated into polymers, such as antimicrobial activity, enzyme immobilization, biosensing, etc. Significant types of nanoparticles that have been studied for use in food packaging systems, along with their effects and applications.