Nano-biocomposites for food packaging

Abstract

The main directions in food packaging research are targeted towards improvements in food quality and safety. For this purpose, food packaging providing longer product shelf-life, as well as the monitoring of safety and quality based upon international standards, is desirable. New active packaging strategies represent a key area of development in new multifunctional materials. Nanotechnology can help to address these requirements and also with other packaging functions, such as food protection and preservation, marketing and smart communication to consumers. The use of nano-biocomposites for food packaging combines two of the most active research areas on materials in contact with food. Thus, applications of nano-biocomposites could help to provide new food packaging materials with improved mechanical, barrier, antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. From the food industry standpoint, concerns such as the safety and risk associated with nanomaterials, migration properties, possible ingestion considering mechanisms for nanoparticles to interact with the human body and regulations on the use of nanotechnology need to be considered The latest innovations in food packaging and the use of nano-biocomposites are reviewed in this chapter. Legislative issues related to the use of nanomaterials in food packaging systems are also discussed.