Nanomaterials In Food Packaging Research Articles

Modernization of Food Packaging Materials with Nanotechnology-A Mini Review.

Food toxins can be of natural origin, chemicals, or inadvertent additives that get incorporated during food packaging and processing. When food is contaminated with bacteria or viruses, or other contaminants, serious foodborne diseases arise, causing severe health issues. To overcome these issues, proper food processing and packaging needs to be addressed to protect humans and animals from foodborne diseases. There are many smart food packaging materials that have evolved recently. Researchers enabled the use of nanomaterials in food packaging and have improved the efficacy of food packaging. In this mini-review, the objectives are to summarize the different types of food contaminants, conventional food packaging materials, and recent developments in nanotechnology-based food packaging materials.

Recent advances in biobased and biodegradable polymer nanocomposites, nanoparticles, and natural antioxidants for antibacterial and antioxidant food packaging applications.

Inorganic nanoparticles (NPs) and natural antioxidant compounds are an emerging trend in the food industry. Incorporating these substances in biobased and biodegradable matrices as polysaccharides (e.g., starch, cellulose, and chitosan) and proteins has highlighted the potential in active food packaging applications due to more significant antimicrobial, antioxidant, UV blocking, oxygen scavenging, water vapor permeability effects, and low environmental impact. In recent years, the migration of metal NPs and metal oxides in food contact packaging and their toxicological potential have raised concerns about the safety of the nanomaterials. In this review, we provide a comprehensive overview of the main biobased and biodegradable polymer nanocomposites, inorganic NPs, natural antioxidants, and their potential use in active food packaging. The intrinsic properties of NPs and natural antioxidant actives in packaging materials are evaluated to extend shelf-life, safety, and food quality. Toxicological and safety aspects of inorganic NPs are highlighted to understand the current controversy on applying some nanomaterials in food packaging. The synergism of inorganic NPs and plant-derived natural antioxidant actives (e.g., vitamins, polyphenols, and carotenoids) and essential oils (EOs) potentiated the antibacterial and antioxidant properties of biodegradable nanocomposite films. Biodegradable packaging films based on green NPs-this is biosynthesized from plant extracts-showed suitable mechanical and barrier properties and had a lower environmental impact and offered efficient food protection. Furthermore, AgNPs and TiO2 NPs released metal ions from packaging into contents insufficiently to cause harm to human cells, which could be helpful to understanding critical gaps and provide progress in the packaging field.

Nanomaterials in Smart Packaging Applications: A Review.

Food wastage is a critical and world-wide issue resulting from an excess of food supply, poor food storage, poor marketing, and unstable markets. Since food quality depends on consumer standards, it becomes necessary to monitor the quality to ensure it meets those standards. Embedding sensors with active nanomaterials in food packaging enables customers to monitor the quality of their food in real-time. Though there are many different sensors that can monitor food quality and safety, pH sensors and time-temperature indicators (TTIs) are the most critical metrics in indicating quality. This review showcases some of the recent progress, their importance, preconditions, and the various future needs of pH sensors and TTIs in food packaging for smart sensors in food packaging applications. In discussing these topics, this review includes the materials used to make these sensors, which vary from polymers, metals, metal-oxides, carbon-based materials; and their modes of fabrication, ranging from thin or thick film deposition methods, solution-based chemistry, and electrodeposition. By discussing the use of these materials, novel fabrication process, and problems for the two sensors, this review offers solutions to a brighter future for the use of nanomaterials for pH indicator and TTIs in food packaging applications.

Antimicrobial Properties of Palladium and Platinum Nanoparticles: A New Tool for Combating Food-Borne Pathogens.

Although some metallic nanoparticles (NPs) are commonly used in the food processing plants as nanomaterials for food packaging, or as coatings on the food handling equipment, little is known about antimicrobial properties of palladium (PdNPs) and platinum (PtNPs) nanoparticles and their potential use in the food industry. In this study, common food-borne pathogens Salmonella enterica Infantis, Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes and Staphylococcus aureus were tested. Both NPs reduced viable cells with the log10 CFU reduction of 0.3–2.4 (PdNPs) and 0.8–2.0 (PtNPs), average inhibitory rates of 55.2–99% for PdNPs and of 83.8–99% for PtNPs. However, both NPs seemed to be less effective for biofilm formation and its reduction. The most effective concentrations were evaluated to be 22.25–44.5 mg/L for PdNPs and 50.5–101 mg/L for PtNPs. Furthermore, the interactions of tested NPs with bacterial cell were visualized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). TEM visualization confirmed that NPs entered bacteria and caused direct damage of the cell walls, which resulted in bacterial disruption. The in vitro cytotoxicity of individual NPs was determined in primary human renal tubular epithelial cells (HRTECs), human keratinocytes (HaCat), human dermal fibroblasts (HDFs), human epithelial kidney cells (HEK 293), and primary human coronary artery endothelial cells (HCAECs). Due to their antimicrobial properties on bacterial cells and no acute cytotoxicity, both types of NPs could potentially fight food-borne pathogens.

Nanotechnology in Food Packaging and Storage: A Review

Moving towards globalization, food packaging requires longer storage time, quality control, and hygienic measures based on international standards. Nanotechnology can meet all these needs and implement the essential factors for packaging, storage, protection, marketing, distribution, and communications. Polymer nanotechnology can provide new food packag-ing materials with suitable mechanical, inhibitory, and antimicrobial properties along with nanosensors to track and control food conditions during transportation and storage. In this survey, the latest innovations and applications of nanomaterials in food packaging using improved, active, and smart nanotechnology are reviewed. Moreover, the current business situation, understanding of the health concept in these technologies, as well as the limitations of recently advanced polymer nano-materials that can effectively change the food packaging industry are discussed

Active Carbon-Based Nanomaterials in Food Packaging

Carbon-based nanomaterials (CBN) are currently used in many biomedical applications. The research includes optimization of single grain size and conglomerates of pure detonated nanodiamond (DND), modified nanodiamond particles and graphene oxide (GO) in order to compare their bactericidal activity against food pathogens. Measurement of grain size and zeta potential was performed using the Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) method. Surface morphology was evaluated using a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and confocal microscope. X-ray diffraction (XRD) was performed in order to confirm the crystallographic structure of detonation nanodiamond particles. Bacteriostatic tests were performed by evaluating the inhibition zone of pathogens in the presence of carbon based nanomaterials. Raman spectroscopy showed differences between the content of the diamond and graphite phases in diamond nanoparticles. Fluorescence microscopy and adenosine-5′-triphosphate (ATP) determination methods were used to assess the bactericidal of bioactive polymers obtained by modification of food wrapping film using various carbon-based nanomaterials. The results indicate differences in the sizes of individual grains and conglomerates of carbon nanomaterials within the same carbon allotropes depending on surface modification. The bactericidal properties depend on the allotropic form of carbon and the type of surface modification. Depending on the grain size of carbon-based materials, surface modification, the content of the diamond and graphite phases, surface of carbon-based nanomaterials film formation shows more or less intense bactericidal properties and differentiated adhesion of bacterial biofilms to food films modified with carbon nanostructures.

Nanotechnology in Food Packaging

In recent years, food packaging continues to grow along with the modern technology. Modern lifestyle led people too busy to cook a proper meal at home. Due to time constraint and hectic schedules people prefer readymade foods and packed ingredients to consume. This creates increased demand on innovations in food packaging. Introduction of nanotechnology has brought new techniques and methodologies in packaging. Food packaging with nano materials acts as a barrier to microorganisms and ensures quality and safety. This paper explains the impact of nanotechnology and role of nano materials in food packaging.

Types of nanomaterials in food packaging: a review

The advent of nanotechnology has provided remarkable methods for fabricating advanced materials. As such, packaging nanocomposite as one of the research hotspots in the nano-sized science, tends to extend shelf life of fresh food items. Active and intelligent packaging are two great achievements of nanotechnology, in which organic and inorganic nanoparticles have showed great effects on the packaging matrix. In particular, nanosensor as an emerging technology can convert data from food items into intelligible signals to communicate with consumers. The objectives of this study are aligned with investigation of various nanostructures commonly used in the packaging industry, and providing an overview of their effects on the packaging performance. This review also elaborates human and environmental safety concerns regarding the application of nanoparticles, and identifies the legislation that has been recently launched.

Types of nanomaterials in food packaging: a review

The advent of nanotechnology has provided remarkable methods for fabricating advanced materials. As such, packaging nanocomposite as one of the research hotspots in the nano-sized science, tends to extend shelf life of fresh food items. Active and intelligent packaging are two great achievements of nanotechnology, in which organic and inorganic nanoparticles have showed great effects on the packaging matrix. In particular, nanosensor as an emerging technology can convert data from food items into intelligible signals to communicate with consumers. The objectives of this study are aligned with investigation of various nanostructures commonly used in the packaging industry, and providing an overview of their effects on the packaging performance. This review also elaborates human and environmental safety concerns regarding the application of nanoparticles, and identifies the legislation that has been recently launched.

Relevance of Nanomaterials in Food Packaging and its Advanced Future Prospects.

Biopolymers have been used in packaged foods to tackle environmental hazards due to their biodegradability and non-toxic nature. In addition to these merits, they have also several demerits such as poor mechanical properties and low resistance towards water. Nanomaterials have attracted great interest in recent years due to their phenomenal properties that makes them precedent in applications for food packaging as they enhance the mechanical, thermal and gas barriers properties, without compromising with the ability to become non-toxic and biodegradable. The most important nanomaterials used in food packaging are montmorillonite (MMT), zinc oxide (ZnO-NPs) coated silicate, kaolinite, silver NPs (Ag-NPs) and titanium dioxide (TiO2NPs) as these, nanomaterials coated films makes a barrier against oxygen, carbon dioxide and favour compounds. They also possess oxygen scavenging capability, antimicrobial activity and tolerance towards temperature. The most difficult task related to the preparation of these nanocomposites is their complete distribution within the polymer matrix and their compatibility. Therefore, there is an increasing demand for improvement in the performance of nano-packaging materials including mechanical stability, degradability and effectiveness of antibacterial property.

Avanços e preocupações sobre a nanotecnologia em alimentos para humanos e animais – uma revisão

Nanotechnology in food is relatively new compared to biomedical area and information technology industries. In this way, this science has aroused great interest in recent years mainly in developed countries, where industry has benefited from its use. Major uses include nanodispersions, nanocapsules, nanolaminates, nanofibers and nanotubes for food packaging, as well as nutritional utilization. In the animal area, the use of nanotechnology is present in vaccines, nutrition, genetics and medicines. However, potential risks must be considered, in addition to the need for specific legislation. Research on food nanotechnology is in progress, with nanoparticle-derived food products expected to be increasingly available to consumers and producers worldwide in the coming years. The present review aims to present the use of nanotechnology in the food industry, emphasizing the use of various nanomaterials for food packaging, as well as its nutritional application in animal diets, potential risks and existing legislation.

Research on Application of Nanomaterials in Food Packaging Design

Nowadays, food packaging is an indispensable part of food processing. In the process of food processing, food packaging can protect food from external biological, chemical and physical factors, and ensure the stability of food performance. With the increasing awareness of food safety and environmental protection, people pay more attention to the selection of packaging materials. Therefore, the application development of nanomaterials is increasing year by year. During the processing of food packaging materials, the addition of some nano-materials can improve the preservation effect and texture of the packaging materials to a certain extent, and can even effectively protect the nutritional components in food. This has great benefits for people's health. However, there are some safety problems in the application of nanomaterials. This paper summarizes the applications of nanomaterials in food packaging, the main detection techniques of nanomaterials, the problems of nanomaterials in food packaging, the safety evaluation of nanomaterials and the development of nanomaterials.

The analysis about the application of nanomaterials in food packaging

This paper gives a comprehensive overview of the application of different nanometer materials in different food packaging. At the same time, the advantages of nanomaterials used in food packaging is further discussed. The toxicity of various nanomaterials to different cell or organelle was also analyzed and summarized

Smart nanopackaging for the enhancement of food shelf life

Food spoilage is a major global concern due to the lack of proper packaging technology. Nanotechnology is expected to improve food packaging. Indeed, novel nano-based food packaging materials possess unique characteristics including antimicrobial potential, oxygen scavengers, and barriers to the gas or moisture, etc. The application of such nanomaterials in food packaging increases the shelf life of food without causing any undesirable alteration in its quality. The use of nanomaterials in food packaging is still in embryonic stage, and hence, the present review focuses on recent advances and overview of the current status in the field. Attempts have also been made to address issues related to toxicity and safety, public perceptions about nanomaterials and key areas of research in the field. The knowledge of pros and cons of this technology will therefore define their applicability as a sustainable food packaging material.

Nanomaterials in food packaging: state of the art and analysis.

It is less than 20years since nanotechnology found applications in food packaging. The new packaging materials have featured various improved characteristics such as antimicrobial activity and active packaging. However, there is a great controversy about the production cost, safety and suitability of nanocomposite materials to come in contact with foodstuffs. To this end, we critically summarize the literature in order to provide the overview of the current status in the field. A scientometric evaluation is presented for the first time in order to illustrate the state of the art. The USA and the Asian countries are the leaders, while the EU countries follow. Additionally, as the analysis of nanomaterials in food matrices is still in early stage, there is an emerging demand to review the analytical techniques which are capable for the monitoring of nanomaterials. Microscopy, spectroscopy, separation and mass spectrometry techniques show advantages and drawbacks which are discussed. FFF-ICP-MS and sp-ICP-MS have the greatest potential for the detection of inorganic nanoparticles in food. In conclusion, the difficulty of analyzing nanoparticles is increased by the lack of standard solutions, reference materials, standard methods and the limited number of available inter-laboratory proficiency tests.

Functions of Nano-Materials in Food Packaging

Food packaging has been changing from bulky and rigid form in the past to different variation of lights and plastic packagings. Regardless of the changes, the packaging must be able to uphold its original function which is to serve as food containment as well as to protect the food from the external environment. Coupled with the increasing consumer’s awareness on food waste, higher standard of living, technological developments are underway to enhance the shelf-life of packed food as well as methods to provide indications of food packaging environment. There are many different indicators for food spoilage, but two commonly found gases in food packaging are oxygen and carbon dioxide. Oxygen is the main mechanism for food spoilage, while carbon dioxide is often used in modified-atmosphere-packaging. There are also different methods of gas scavenging and/or sensing techniques based on different concepts in the literature. In this review, the focus will be on nano-materials, namely titanium dioxide, silica, zeolites and metal organic frameworks. This review is structured in a manner to highlight how each material can be used in both gas scavenging and/or indicators applications. The last part of the review focuses on the approach and some key considerations when integrating nano-materials into the plastic film.

Applications of Nanomaterials in Food Packaging.

Nanomaterials have drawn great interest in recent years due to their extraordinary properties that make them advantageous in food packaging applications. Specifically, nanoparticles can impart significant barrier properties, as well as mechanical, optical, catalytic, and antimicrobial properties into packaging. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and nanoclay account for the majority of the nano-enabled food packaging on the market, while others, such as nano-zinc oxide (ZnO) and titanium, share less of the current market. In current food packaging, these nanomaterials are primarily used to impart antimicrobial function and to improve barrier properties, thereby extending the shelf life and freshness of packaged food. On the other hand, there is growing concern about the migration of nanomaterials from food contact materials to foodstuffs and its associated potential risks. Indeed, insufficient data about environmental and human safety assessments of migration and exposure of nanomaterials are hindering their market growth. To overcome this barrier, the public believes that legislation from government agencies is critical. This review provides an overview of the characteristics and functions of major nanomaterials that are commonly applied to food packaging, including available and near- future products. Migration research, safety issues, and public concerns are also discussed.

Nanomaterials: a Map for Their Selection in Food Packaging Applications

Even though research on nanotechnology has increased rapidly in the last decades, the application of nanotechnology in food and beverage packaging started to show an interest in the scientific community much more recently. Food safety, quality and improvements of properties compared with conventional materials make nanomaterials very attractive in the field of food and beverage packaging applications. Furthermore, in many cases, nanomaterials are used for both food packaging and the food contained, especially when we talk about nanomaterials for active and intelligent packaging. Oxygen scavengers, antimicrobial nanomaterials and nanobiosensors are some examples of current research efforts on nanomaterials for food packaging. This fact has led to a variety of nanoparticles and nanomaterials. The wide range of existing nanomaterials could make its selection for food packaging applications a challenge. Thus, building up a map based on the current state‐of‐the‐art nanoparticles and nanomaterials is required. Furthermore, there is a need to classify all the nanomaterials used specifically in food packaging, independently of their nature, the packaging material and the way they are integrated to this material. In this paper, a classification of the latest advances in this field was made accompanied by the use of Multi‐Criteria Decision Analysis in order to find which are the most relevant (and/or expected to be potentially exploited in the near future) nanomaterials in the area of food packaging. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Applications of nanotechnology in food packaging and food safety: Barrier materials, antimicrobials and sensors

In this article, several applications of nanomaterials in food packaging and food safety are reviewed, including: polymer/clay nanocomposites as high barrier packaging materials, silver nanoparticles as potent antimicrobial agents, and nanosensors and nanomaterial-based assays for the detection of food-relevant analytes (gasses, small organic molecules and food-borne pathogens). In addition to covering the technical aspects of these topics, the current commercial status and understanding of health implications of these technologies are also discussed. These applications were chosen because they do not involve direct addition of nanoparticles to consumed foods, and thus are more likely to be marketed to the public in the short term.

Applications of nanomaterials in food packaging with a consideration of opportunities for developing countries

This concise review describes the science and technology developments made towards applications of nanomaterials in food packaging materials. The technical benefits of actual and near-market applications are described. The uncertainties over risks that some of these novel materials may pose to consumer safety and environmental safety are outlined along with the corresponding regulatory barrier that this poses to innovation and new product development. Finally, some opportunities and approaches are proposed for developing countries to gain the expected benefits of the newly emerging nanotechnologies. This could involve taking the new science and technology, developed already for retail packaging, and adapting it for more local needs.