Work

Recent Advances in Functional Nanomaterials for Enhancing Biopolymer-Based Active Food Packaging: A Review

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Food packaging serves a pivotal role in daily life, facilitating the efficient transportation of food and extending its shelf life. Petroleum-derived plastic packaging is extensively employed; however, its non-biodegradable nature poses significant environmental pollution and ecological degradation. Natural polymers (e.g., proteins such as gelatin and corn gluten protein; polysaccharides including pectin, chitosan, starch, cellulose, and alginate) and synthetic polymers (e.g., polyvinyl alcohol, polylactic acid, and polyhydroxyalkanoates) can be utilized to fabricate food packaging films, thereby achieving green and eco-friendly objectives. Nevertheless, the inferior mechanical strength and inadequate antibacterial activity of biopolymer-based packaging have restricted their practical applications. In recent years, nanomaterials (e.g., nanoparticles, nanotubes, nanofibers, and nanosheets) have been employed to enhance the performance of food packaging, emerging as a research hotspot. Notably, nanoparticles possess unique properties, including a high specific surface area, excellent dispersibility, and multifunctionality, which enables them to be easily incorporated into film matrices. Owing to their unique chemical structures, nanoparticles form strong interactions with film matrices, leading to a denser spatial structure. This not only markedly enhances the mechanical strength of the films, but also simultaneously improves their antibacterial and antioxidant capabilities. This review classifies and summarizes common nanomaterials based on their chemical compositions, providing a theoretical foundation and technical reference for the future development and application of nanomaterials in the field of bio-based active food packaging.

Source: Gels

DOI: 10.3390/gels11110905

Authors: Rui Zhang, Chuanhuan Liu, Congyu Lin, Hong Zhang, Longwei Jiang, Yingzhu Liu

Institutions: Anhui Agricultural University, Jiangnan University, Tarim University, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs

Language: English

Topic: Nanocomposite Films for Food Packaging

Subfield: Biomaterials

Field: Materials Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Responsible consumption and production

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,534