Perspectives of Biodegradable Nanocoatings in Food Packaging

Introduction

The implementation of nanoscience and nanotechnology in the fields of food, agriculture, and food safety is a recent innovation compared with its well-established utilization in sectors such as paints and coatings, cosmetics, personal care products, drug delivery and pharmaceuticals, diagnostics and medical therapeutics, molecular computing, energy production, and structural materials (Vasile, 2018). The food industry has been prompted to reassess its approach and prioritize secure, sustainable, and user-friendly packaging due to evolving consumer demands, driven not only by stringent EU-wide regulations, but also by shifting demographics, such as the rise of single households, aging populations, and an increasing demand for convenient “food on the run” (European Parliament & Council, 2004). As per Regulation (EC) No. 1935/2004, an effective packaging solution is required to fulfill various functions, encompassing the safeguarding of food from contaminants, such as oxygen, moisture, dirt, light, dust, pathogenic microorganisms, and other potentially deleterious substances. Additionally, packaging must demonstrate safety under its designated usage conditions, including inertness, cost-effectiveness in production, lightweight properties, ease of disposal or reusability, resilience to rigorous circumstances encountered throughout the processing or filling stages, impermeability to diverse sustainable storage and transport conditions, and durability against physical stress (European Parliament & Council, 2004; Vasile, 2018).

Modern manufacturing, commercialization trends, transformations in retailing and distribution methods, and the global nature of the food industry require longer product shelf-lives in order to accommodate the complexities of long-distance transportation (Janjarasskul & Suppakul, 2016). Therefore, it is imperative for packaging materials to exhibit the desirable optical, thermal, and mechanical properties to fulfill their protective functions. Additionally, the antimicrobial characteristics of food packaging materials and their capacity to serve as barriers against aromas and gases are of paramount importance in the realm of nanopackaging (Rai et al., 2019).

The use of bio-based materials in food packaging is constrained by the inadequate barrier and mechanical properties of natural polymers. To address these limitations, natural polymers have commonly been combined with synthetic counterparts, or have been chemically modified, aiming to enhance their applicability in packaging (Kuswandi, 2017). Nanomaterials exhibit exceptional functional attributes, encompassing a broad specific surface area, improved barrier properties, and antibacterial activity. These features offer advantages in overcoming the limitations associated with traditional approaches to extending the shelf life of food products (Manikandan & Min, 2023). Growing consumer awareness of environmental concerns has encouraged the industry to explore “green” alternatives with renewed interest (Vilarinho et al., 2018). In this context, nanotechnology has the potential to revolutionize food preservation and can play a vital role in ensuring food security for the future (Wypij et al., 2023). With growing global consciousness regarding the environmental implications of carbon emissions, the requirement for sustainable nanocomposite materials is on the rise. Nanocomposites are rapidly emerging as compelling substitutes for conventional materials due to their distinctive attributes, which render them well-suited for deployment in ecologically conscious technological endeavors (Saharudin et al., 2023).