The Green Era of Food Packaging: General Considerations and New Trends

Abstract

Recently, academic research and industries have gained awareness about the economic, environmental, and social impacts of conventional plastic packaging and its disposal. This consciousness has oriented efforts towards more sustainable materials such as biopolymers, paving the way for the “green era” of food packaging. This review provides a schematic overview about polymers and blends of them, which are emerging as promising alternatives to conventional plastics. Focus was dedicated to biopolymers from renewable sources and their applications to produce sustainable, active packaging with antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. In particular, the incorporation of plant extracts, food-waste derivatives, and nano-sized materials to produce bio-based active packaging with enhanced technical performances was investigated. According to recent studies, bio-based active packaging enriched with natural-based compounds has the potential to replace petroleum-derived materials. Based on molecular composition, the natural compounds can diversely interact with the native structure of the packaging materials, modulating their barriers, optical and mechanical performances, and conferring them antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. Overall, the recent academic findings could lead to a breakthrough in the field of food packaging, opening the gates to a new generation of packaging solutions which will be sustainable, customised, and green.

Edible Packaging: A Technological Update for the Sustainable Future of the Food Industry

“…Nevertheless, cellulose's applicability in the production of edible films is limited because of its inability to dissolve in water and most organic solvents. This is due to its tightly packed hydrogen bonds, high crystallinity, and structural complexity [42]. One way to overcome this limitation is through derivatization by applying an alkali treatment and then acidification by using hydrophilic agents such as methyl chloride, chloroacetic acid, or propylene oxide to produce thermoplastic and hydroplastic cellulose derivatives.…”

“…The FDA has approved cellulose acetate as being generally recognized as safe (GRAS), prompting the food-packaging sector to develop and test new applications for this polymer. Cellulose acetate is mostly used to wrap fresh and baked items [42].…”

“…Chitosan is a linear polysaccharide composed of β-linked N-acetyl-glucosamine and N-glucosamine units. It is derived from alkaline N-deacetylation of chitin, which is the second most prominent natural polysaccharide after cellulose [42]. The main sources of chitin are the exoskeletons of crustaceans and several insects and fungi.…”

“…Several studies have reported chitosan use in food packaging due of its physicochemical properties. Chitosan has good mechanical and film-forming properties and selective permeability to O 2 and CO 2 [42]; it also possesses antimicrobial and antioxidant properties [43]. So, the chitosan-based film and coatings can be used in products like apples, pears, strawberries, cucumbers, bell peppers, peaches, and plums.…”

“…Pork, fish, and bovine are sources of collagen for gelatin production [36]. Depending on its method of synthesis, gelatin can be categorized as (I) Type A-derived from acid-treated collagenand (II) Type B-obtained from alkali-treated collagen [42,76]. Gelatin is utilized in the adjustment, gelling, texturization, and emulsification of bakery, confectionary, beverages, and dairy items in the food industry.…”