Comprehensive Review of Polysaccharide-Based Materials in Edible Packaging: A Sustainable Approach

Abstract

Edible packaging is a sustainable product and technology that uses one kind of “food” (an edible material) to package another kind of food (a packaged product), and organically integrates food with packaging through ingenious material design. Polysaccharides are a reliable source of edible packaging materials with excellent renewable, biodegradable, and biocompatible properties, as well as antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. Using polysaccharide-based materials effectively reduces the dependence on petroleum resources, decreases the carbon footprint of the “product-packaging” system, and provides a “zero-emission” scheme. To date, they have been commercialized and developed rapidly in the food (e.g., fruits and vegetables, meat, nuts, confectioneries, and delicatessens, etc.) packaging industry. However, compared with petroleum-based polymers and plastics, polysaccharides still have limitations in film-forming, mechanical, barrier, and protective properties. Therefore, they need to be improved by reasonable material modifications (chemical or physical modification). This article comprehensively reviews recent research advances, hot issues, and trends of polysaccharide-based materials in edible packaging. Emphasis is given to fundamental compositions and properties, functional modifications, food-packaging applications, and safety risk assessment of polysaccharides (including cellulose, hemicellulose, starch, chitosan, and polysaccharide gums). Therefore, to provide a reference for the development of modern edible packaging.

Recent Advancements of Polysaccharides to Enhance Quality and Delay Ripening of Fresh Produce: A Review

“…Polysaccharide coatings are regulated similarly to other dietary components and act as an essential component of fruits and vegetables [ 123 ]. It can be used in developing edible packaging if a substance has been approved as safe by the FDA, is categorized as GRAS, and is used by Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP).…”

Edible Bioactive Film with Curcumin: A Potential “Functional” Packaging?

“…Polysaccharides and proteins have received more attention because of their special properties, such as their ability to form a good film, relative abundance, and nutritional quality. Polysaccharides, such as alginate, agar, xanthan, carrageenan, guar, pectin, and locust bean gum, have been widely used to produce edible films [ 32 ]. Among proteins, zein, gelatin, casein, whey proteins, and soy proteins have been the most studied for the development of edible films for food [ 29 ].…”

Development of New Biodegradable Agar-Alginate Membranes for Food Packaging

“…The use of edible films and coatings for food packaging without active substances is also an active food packaging application, as the edibleness and biodegradability of films are additional functions that are not provided by conventional packaging materials [6].…”