Novel Bio-Based Materials and Applications in Antimicrobial Food Packaging: Recent Advances and Future Trends

Abstract

Food microbial contamination not only poses the problems of food insecurity and economic loss, but also contributes to food waste, which is another global environmental problem. Therefore, effective packaging is a compelling obstacle for shielding food items from outside contaminants and maintaining its quality. Traditionally, food is packaged with plastic that is rarely recyclable, negatively impacting the environment. Bio-based materials have attracted widespread attention for food packaging applications since they are biodegradable, renewable, and have a low carbon footprint. They provide a great opportunity to reduce the extensive use of fossil fuels and develop food packaging materials with good properties, addressing environmental problems and contributing significantly to sustainable development. Presently, the developments in food chemistry, technology, and biotechnology have allowed us to fine-tune new methodologies useful for addressing major safety and environmental concerns regarding packaging materials. This review presents a comprehensive overview of the development and potential for application of new bio-based materials from different sources in antimicrobial food packaging, including carbohydrate (polysaccharide)-based materials, protein-based materials, lipid-based materials, antibacterial agents, and bio-based composites, which can solve the issues of both environmental impact and prevent foodborne pathogens and spoilage microorganisms. In addition, future trends are discussed, as well as the antimicrobial compounds incorporated in packaging materials such as nanoparticles (NPs), nanofillers (NFs), and bio-nanocomposites.

Active Food Packaging Made of Biopolymer-Based Composites

“…However, these conventional plastic materials are difficult to recycle and degrade, and their disposal contributes to severe environmental pollution [12]. Therefore, bio-based materials-including polysaccharide-, protein-, and lipid-based materials [13]-would be great alternatives to conventional petrochemical-based plastics, especially in the food industry, where a great amount of single-use and short-lived packaging is used. In addition, biopolymer materials could be degraded through the metabolism of fungi or other microorganisms, under appropriate conditions (e.g., oxygen, moisture, and temperature).…”

Biomimetic Biomaterials Based on Polysaccharides: Recent Progress and Future Perspectives

“…Antimicrobial surfaces indeed are of great interest for food packaging applications, as food microbial contamination poses a problem of food insecurity and economic loss, and contributes to food waste, which is another global issue. [ 44 ] Koshani and co‐workers [ 45 ] recently developed a bioinspired nanofiller composed of hairy CNCs functionalized with primary amine groups which were covalently linked to rose Bengal, a natural photosensitizer. These nanoparticles displayed bactericidal activity against Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella Typhimurium , even when associated with carboxyl‐modified cellulose films or with webs of electrospun cellulose acetate nanofibers.…”

Development of a Multifunctional Edible Coating and Its Preservation Effect on Sturgeon (Acipenser baeri♀× Acipenser schrenckii♂) Fillets during Refrigerated Storage at 4 °C

“…In order to effectively prevent microbial spoilage and maintain the quality and safety of fillets during storage, the combination of different antimicrobial agents into edible films and coatings is necessary. In addition, bio-based films and coatings are considered to be an effective and environmentally friendly method for extending the shelf life of foods and have been extensively studied [ 19 ]. Noshad [ 20 ] and Behbahani et al [ 21 ] demonstrated that edible coating incorporated with essential oil can effectively inhibit the growth of microbiota and reduce the lipid oxidation in meat.…”