Surface chemistry of food, packaging and biopolymer materials

Abstract

This chapter discusses the physicochemical principles of surface phenomena, and provides an overview of the research regarding surface properties of biopolymers used for the manufacturing of biodegradable films. Surface properties of food packaging polymers, such as wettability, scalability, printability, dye uptake, resistance to glazing, and adhesion to food surfaces or other polymers are of central importance to food packaging designers and engineers with respect to product shelf-life, appearance, and quality control. The most commonly used food packaging polymers are low-density polyethylene, high-density polyethylene, polypropylene, polytetrafluoroethylene, and nylon. In recent years, environmental concerns have increased the interest in preparing biodegradable packaging materials. Proteins and polysaccharides are the biopolymers of prime interest, since they can be used effectively to make edible and biodegradable films to replace short shelf-life plastics. Surface properties of biopolymers provide a supplementary understanding of film behavior, leading to an enhanced design of packaging materials for specific applications.