Abstract
The amount of plastics used globally today exceeds a million tonnes annually, with an alarming annual growth. The final result is that plastic packaging is thrown into the environment, and the problem of waste is increasing every year. A real alternative is the use bio-based polymer packaging materials. Research carried out in the laboratory context and products tested at the industrial level have confirmed the success of replacing plastic-based packaging with new, edible or completely biodegradable foils. Of the polysaccharides used to obtain edible materials, sodium alginate has the ability to form films with certain specific properties: resistance, gloss, flexibility, water solubility, low permeability to O2 and vapors, and tasteless or odorless. Initially used as coatings for perishable or cut fresh fruits and vegetables, these sodium alginate materials can be applied to a wide range of foods, especially in the meat industry. Used to cover meat products, sodium alginate films prevent mass loss and degradation of color and texture. The addition of essential oils prevents microbial contamination with Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica, Listeria monocytogenes, or Botrytis cinerea. The obtained results promote the substitution of plastic packaging with natural materials based on biopolymers and, implicitly, of sodium alginate, with or without other natural additions. These natural materials have become the packaging of the future.
Highlights
Introduction to the World of PlasticsThe Need for Alternative MaterialsThe need to replace conventional plastic materials has become a subject of maximum interest, taking into account their intense polluting character and non-renewable nature
Coatings 2020, 10, 166 (i) the financial dimension—only 5% of the value of the plastic materials is maintained in the economy, the rest being lost after the first use, which results in annual losses of 70–105 million euros, and (ii) their reduced degradation and overly long period of time that this takes—non-recycled plastic takes years to decompose, unlike other materials such as glass, paper, or metals
The results indicate that an alginate-based edible coating formulation incorporated with 0.3% (w/v) lemongrass has potential to extend the shelf life and maintain quality of fresh-cut pineapple
Summary
The need to replace conventional plastic materials has become a subject of maximum interest, taking into account their intense polluting character and non-renewable nature. The production of plastics is expected to double over the 20 years, surpassing to an alarming degree the current waste management and recycling capabilities [3] It seems that plastic pollution has become the biggest environmental challenge of our time. (i) the financial dimension—only 5% of the value of the plastic materials is maintained in the economy, the rest being lost after the first use, which results in annual losses of 70–105 million euros, and (ii) their reduced degradation and overly long period of time that this takes—non-recycled plastic takes years to decompose, unlike other materials such as glass, paper, or metals. The second layer is not in direct contact with food and protects it from physical changes (for example, plastic boxes or flexible bags) The third layer, such as pallets or adhesive films, usually contains films incorporated into the material. The proposed edible packaging generally fall into the category of the first-layer films [9]
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