Recent Advances in the Development of Smart and Active Biodegradable Packaging Materials

Abstract

Interest in the development of smart and active biodegradable packaging materials is increasing as food manufacturers try to improve the sustainability and environmental impact of their products, while still maintaining their quality and safety. Active packaging materials contain components that enhance their functionality, such as antimicrobials, antioxidants, light blockers, or oxygen barriers. Smart packaging materials contain sensing components that provide an indication of changes in food attributes, such as alterations in their quality, maturity, or safety. For instance, a smart sensor may give a measurable color change in response to a deterioration in food quality. This article reviews recent advances in the development of active and smart biodegradable packaging materials in the food industry. Moreover, studies on the application of these packaging materials to monitor the freshness and safety of food products are reviewed, including dairy, meat, fish, fruit and vegetable products. Finally, the potential challenges associated with the application of these eco-friendly packaging materials in the food industry are discussed, as well as potential future directions.

The Effect of Chitosan Type on Biological and Physicochemical Properties of Films with Propolis Extract

“…Examples of improving functionality by enriching film-forming materials are the use of inorganic nanoparticles of iron or silver oxide and organic nanoforms of cellulose and chitosan. Composites enriched in this way show better optical, mechanical and barrier properties and also biological activity [2,6]. The literature data have shown that ginkgo leaf extract has strong antioxidant activity in gelatin membranes.…”

“…Food packaging is primarily intended to protect the packed food, preserve it, and enable transport. Edible packaging allows extending of the shelf life of food and maintaining its high quality [2]. There are three types of edible packaging.…”

“…The literature also provides information on the possibility of producing active and intelligent packaging from natural polymers by incorporating sensor materials into the film matrix, such as, e.g., pH indicators developed with the use of anthocyanins or gas levels. Which in the future will allow for providing information about the condition of packaged food [2].The world literature also describes some examples of films based on chitosan and propolis [19][20][21][22]. Propolis is a natural resinous material produced by honeybees from various plant sources [23,24].…”

The Ideas of Sustainable and Green Marketing Based on the Internet of Everything—The Case of the Dairy Industry

“…Looking at the scientific databases, with keywords of "sustainable marketing" or "green marketing" and "food" or "dairy" and "Internet of Things", proved that even its usefulness is not addressed by the researchers. The most similar to the current issue were two studies about blockchain technology in agri-food supply chains [83] and sustainable technologies in agri-food 4.0 [84], and some more, but only in the area of smart packaging, specifically in the dairy industry [58,85,86]. Therefore, it is worth discussing how to improve supply chain management methods and concepts by using IoT and IoE solutions.…”

Characterization and Comparison of Biodegradable Printed Capacitive Humidity Sensors

“…Smart packaging utilizes sensors fabricated directly into packaging material in order to track information about its contents and environmental history, such as pH, temperature, gas levels, light exposure, and relative humidity [ 7 , 8 , 9 ]. Schaefer and Cheung [ 10 ] identify key challenges in the development of smart packaging, including fabricating thin film technology and reducing the environmental impact of unsustainable packaging materials.…”