Evolution of biobased and nanotechnology packaging – a review

Abstract

This review deals with the evolution of bio-based packaging and the emergence of various nanotechnologies for primary food packaging. The end-of life issues of packaging is discussed and particularly the environmental problems associated with microplastics in the marine environment, which serve as a vector for the assimilation of persistent organic pollutants in the oceans and are transported into the food chain via marine and wild life. The use of biodegradable polymers has been a primary route to alleviate these environmental problems, but for various reasons the market has not developed at a sufficient pace that would cope with the mentioned environmental issues. Currently, the biodegradable plastics only constitute a small fraction of the fossil-based plastic market. Fossil-based plastics are, however, indispensable for food safety and minimization of food waste, and are not only cheap, but has generally more suitable mechanical and barrier properties compared to biodegradable polymers. More recently, various nanotechnologies such as the use of nanoclays, nanocellulose, layer-by-layer technologies and polyelectrolyte complexes have emerged as viable technologies to make oxygen and water vapor barriers suitable for food packaging. These technological developments are highlighted as well as issues like biodegradation, recycling, legislation issues and safety and toxicity of these nanotechnologies.

Advancements in Biodegradable Active Films for Food Packaging: Effects of Nano/Microcapsule Incorporation

“…Figure 2 illustrates a general classification of biodegradable and non-biodegradable fossil and biobased plastics. Hence, there are the following four different groups of plastics: Fossil-based and non-biodegradable: refers to classical plastics such as conventional polyethylene (PE) and polystyrene (PS); Fossil-based and biodegradable: includes polycaprolactone (PCL), polybutylene succinate (PBS), and poly (butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT); Bio-based and non-biodegradable: bio-polyethylene (PE) is an example of this group produced from bioethanol fuel, which is produced from sugar cane; Bio-based and biodegradable: this group is an interesting choice with high potential to apply in food packaging without environmental impacts, which can be natural or synthetic such as cellulose, starch blends, and polyesters such as PLA and PHA [ 52 ]. …”

Addressing Stakeholder Concerns Regarding the Effective Use of Bio-Based and Biodegradable Plastics

“…In addition to these social issues, concerns regarding technical performance and mechanical properties also plague the uptake of BB-P/BD-P [19,20]. Disadvantages listed within the literature include reduced mechanical, thermal, and barrier properties against oxygen, water, vapor, microbes, light, and high humidity [21][22][23].…”

“…Disadvantages listed within the literature include reduced mechanical, thermal, and barrier properties against oxygen, water, vapor, microbes, light, and high humidity [21][22][23]. This is especially an issue when the use of BB-P/BD-P is considered for high-risk applications, such as food packaging [19,21,23]. Challenges within this category are further exacerbated by the consumer expectation that these materials will perform to, not only an equal, but a higher standard compared to traditional plastics [18].…”

“…In addition, the compatibility of additives developed for traditional plastics (whose suitability is determined through the use of standards and regulations developed for traditional materials) is also questioned when applied to BB-P/BD-P [10]. This could also be true in the development, optimization and commercialization of new BB-P/BD-P through the blending of different polymers [19]. While it would be incorrect to assume that all manufacturers of BB-P/BD-P only use additives created for traditional plastics, new BB-P/BD-P formulations often rely on the use of pre-existing additives to enhance technical properties (P. Moreau, Natureplast: Personal Communication).…”

Does the Addition of Cellulosic Micro/nanofibrils Improve the Properties of Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose Films?

“…These results show that MFC/NFC is a class of material that may improve the barrier, mechanical and thermal properties of bionanocomposites compared to conventional composites and materials produced from pure polymers, making them a promising option to be used as biopolymer-based packaging materials (Lindström and Österberg 2020;Hu et al 2021;Naidu and John 2021). The different combinations and proportions between HPMC and MFC/NFC, as well as the variation of experimental conditions among the research, makes it difficult to standardize the results (Khalil et al 2018;Li et al 2018;Ghadermazi et al 2019).…”