Increased environmental concerns over the use of certain synthetic packaging and coatings in combination with consumer demands for both higher quality and longer shelf life have led to increased interest in alternative packaging materials research. Naturally renewable biopolymers can be used as barrier coatings on paper packaging materials. These biopolymer coatings may retard unwanted moisture transfer in food products, are good oxygen and oil barriers, are biodegradable, and have potential to replace current synthetic paper and paperboard coatings. Incorporation of antimicrobial agents in coatings to produce active paper packaging materials provides an attractive option for protecting food from microorganism development and spread. The barrier, mechanical, and other properties of biopolymer-coated paper are reviewed. Existing and potential applications for bioactive coatings on paper packaging materials are discussed with examples.

Due to the recent increase in ecological consciousness, research has turned toward finding edible materials. Viable edible films and coatings have been produced using milk proteins. These films and coatings may retard moisture loss, are good oxygen barriers, show good tensile strength and moderate elongation, are flexible, and generally have no flavor or taste. Incorporation of lipids in protein films, either in an emulsion or as a coating, improve their properties as barriers to moisture vapor. Interactions between chemical, structural properties, as well as film-forming conditions and functional properties of edible milk films are elucidated. Some potential uses of milk protein packaging, which are hinged on film properties, are described with examples.

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Natural antimicrobial agents have been investigated as alternatives to synthetic ones for ensuring food safety and quality. However, the practical use of these preservatives in the food industry is limited due to their negative impact on the odor and taste of food products, as well as the early loss of functionality due to their rapid diffusion and interaction with food components. The incorporation of natural antimicrobial agents into edible coatings has been investigated to control diffusion of active compounds and maintain their concentrations at a critical level on a food surface. Recently, nanoencapsulating and multilayered/nanolaminate delivery systems have emerged as promising tools to enhance the functionality of edible coatings. This review highlights the potential use of polymeric edible coatings for the incorporation of natural antimicrobial agents and the improvement of their controlled release in food systems. The methods used to assess the antimicrobial activity of encapsulated natural antimicrobial agents and the most recent findings regarding the application of nanoencapsulating and multilayered/nanolaminate delivery systems in food products are also discussed.

Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) based nanocomposites filled with different amounts of halloysites (HNTs) and/or cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) were produced and characterized in terms of mechanical and barrier properties, thermal stability, and transparency. A significant increase in tensile strength by more than 70% and an unexpected improvement in elongation at break were observed for all the PVA nanocomposites when compared to the pristine PVA. Moreover, the presence of both CNC and HNTs at the highest loadings of 5 and 3 wt %, respectively, improved the thermal stability of the PVA matrix and reduced its water vapor permeability (WVP) by more than 42%. All the developed PVA nanocomposites maintained their transparency due to the good and homogeneous dispersion of both the nanofillers in the PVA matrix. Results highlight the synergistic effect of HNT and CNC on the barrier and mechanical properties of PVA, mainly due to the establishment of specific interactions between the OH groups of HNT and CNC particles.