Smarter and Greener Technologies for Food Packaging

Abstract

Packaging in food product plays a vital role as it is known to maintain the overall quality of the food. Thus, choosing packaging materials for the food determines the overall suitability of the food. However, the impact of these packaging materials to environment is crucial. In the past decade usage of plastic has elevated which causes adversity to the environment. Hence, a necessity for sustainable packaging materials is essential, that would be inert to the food materials and minimum effect on the environment. Packaging technologies like edible and biodegradable packaging, application of nanotechnology in packaging is burgeoning due to reduction in application of non-degradable packaging materials like plastics, glass and metal. These technologies are very promising would certainly serve mankind and also render sustainability to the environment. The following chapter enlightens about the need and application of greener approach towards packaging using nanotechnology and the future prospects of these alternative novel biodegradable polymeric materials.

Full text

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Smarter and Greener Technologies for Food
Packaging
Debomitra Dey, M.Tech
Email: debomitra.dey@gmail.com
ABSTRACT
Packaging in food product plays a vital role as it is known to maintain
the overall quality of the food. Thus, choosing packaging materials
for the food determines the overall suitability of the food. However,
the impact of these packaging materials to environment is crucial. In
the past decade usage of plastic has elevated which causes adversity
to the environment. Hence, a necessity for sustainable packaging
materials is essential, that would be inert to the food materials and
minimum effect on the environment. Packaging technologies like
edible and biodegradable packaging, application of nanotechnology
in packaging is burgeoning due to reduction in application of non-
degradable packaging materials like plastics, glass and metal. These
technologies are very promising would certainly serve mankind and
also render sustainability to the environment. The following chapter
enlightens about the need and application of greener approach towards
packaging using nanotechnology and the future prospects of these
alternative novel biodegradable polymeric materials.
Introduction
In current times, the demand of packaging of food materials has
exponentially increased. The fundamental aspect of food is processing and
designing a product; starts from the selection of appropriate packaging
material [1]. Therefore, packaging plays a crucial role in maintaining the
overall quality of food material. Thus, food packaging is a dynamically
evolving field of study. Likewise, packaging of food provides four functions
namely “Communication, Containment, Protection and Convenience” [22].
Communication: food package acts as a silent salesman for the product

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[12]. The label of the package offers information about the brand and
product, additionally furnishes information about the seller, manufacturer,
date of manufacture, best before date and also information for traceability.
Containment: the chief function of packaging facilitates transportation and
storage of products. Without containment there would be extensive loss of
product and spoilage.
Protection: one of the primary functions of packaging is to protect the
package from physical, chemical and microbial attack hence, attribute to
the increase in shelf life of the product. Additionally a packaging also
protects the effects of environment: light, moisture, gases, microbes and
pests, vibrations on the food within the package.
Convenience: is known to be the selling point of food products in the market
for instance, sauces, fruits drinks, mayonnaise are packaged in stand-up
pouches for convenience of the consumers; the need and suitability of the
consumers are considered- family pack for ice creams, or interactive
packages of chocolates for kids.
In ancient times leaf barks were used for packing food to keep it
safe from pests, to recent application of materials like paper, glass, metals
and plastics; and today we are blessed with technologies like canning,
aseptic packaging which offers better shelf life, food safety of the product
till it reaches the consumers. Materials used for packaging has changed
depending on the source and availability of these materials, due to the
increasing demand of flexible packaging, the use of synthetic polymers
have rapidly increased in the last few decades. Subsequently, this increase
has led to serious global threats like emission of toxic gases due to
incineration, limitation of disposal methods of plastics, increased land-
filling [17]. Hence, this prompts the necessity to divert studies and
considering application of non-synthetic and biodegradable polymers for
packaging of food products, and increases the sustainability of these novel
packaging materials.
Need for Novel Packaging Technology
Food packages serve essential functions like containment and
protect food from mechanical damage during handling and distribution
[18]. Most industries employ plastic as the major packaging material due
to its versatile nature- flexibility, thermal properties, mechanical and barrier
properties. This subsequently led to serious global concerns. Since plastics
are difficult to recycle and dispose due to limitation in processing methods;
viz., the process of incineration of plastic releases toxic gases which are

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harmful to humans and animals, landfilling of plastic takes almost 1000
years to decompose. These situations have urged researchers globally to
explore alternative materials for packaging of food. Further, research also
focuses on considering lightweight materials to reduce load of raw materials
used for packaging, thus minimizing amount of waste generated [28].
Biodegradable Packaging
The necessity for non-petroleum based polymers has significantly increased
in current times due to increased oil prices [26], and also the fact that these
petroleum based plastics are non-renewable source of energy. Excessive
usage of plastics has caused severe damage to our ecosystem by eventual
accumulation of solid waste, which has escalated pollution in developed
countries [23]. As a result these factors have triggered the extensive need
for research in the field of biodegradable packaging.
Figure1: Schematic representation and classification of packaging materials based
on sources and method of preparation [22]
Biodegradation of polymer depends upon the chemical structure
of the polymer, the vulnerability of degradation of polymer and the
microorganism involved in breaking down the biodegradable polymeric
material. These biodegradable polymers are degradable under proper
compositing conditions. Biodegradable polymers don’t exhibit the

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properties of plastics; like durability, tensile strength and transparency when
used singly. But they definitely offer better properties when reinforced
with materials like starch, chitosan, cellulose within a matrix.
Biodegradable polymers used in Food Packaging can be divided
into three categories- Polysaccharides, Proteins and Aliphatic polyesters
based on their source (Table 1).
Table 1: Classification of Biodegradable polymers based on origin and preparation
Biodegradable Polymers in Food Packaging
Biodegradable polymers from natural sources
Starch is richly available in the environment in crops like wheat,
potato, barley; starch films prepared without modification exhibit poor
mechanical strength. Hence, reinforcement along with other polymers like
PHB and plasticizers like glycerol can significantly increase the overall
mechanical strength of these polymeric films. The application of potato
and PHB for production of biodegradable films, they lower the weight
loss of products packed in these films; these polymeric films are fast
degrading materials; bilayer films of starch and PHB have better Water
Vapour Permeability (WVP), increased mechanical strength respectively
[3,24,29]. Hence, they serve as a prospective food packaging material and
a biodegradable package.
Cellulose is most abundant polymer in nature, and is highly
crystalline, brittle and insoluble in organic solvents hence, cannot be
employed singly for purpose of food packaging. Cellulose derivatives like
cellulose microcrystals (CMC), cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) can be
blended using pectin or polymers obtained from petrochemical sources
like PVA (Table-2) to prepare polymeric films, which are biodegradable
and maybe used in the food industry. Cellulose nanocrystals reinforced
within the matrix of PVA along with the aid of plasticizers render high
Polysaccharides
 Alginate
 Cellulose
 Chitosan
 Pectin
Xanthan
Aliphatic polyesters
 Poly lactic acid (PLA)
Polyhydroxy butyrate (PHB)
Proteins
 Collagen
Zein
 Soy Protein
Whey Protein

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mechanical strength to the polymeric films [7].
Chitosan is the second most abundant polymer in nature next to
cellulose [7]. Widely found in shells of crustaceans. Due to chitosan’s
high sensitivity to humidity limits its applicability to packaging of food
[27]. However, chitosan when blended with other polymers like PHB, CMC
can considerably increase overall strength and necessary attributes to serve
as a biodegradable food package [10].
Biodegradable polymers from micro-organisms
PLA
Polylactic acid (PLA) is a biodegradable thermoplastic polymer
derived from lactic acid. Lactic acid is commercially available through
microbial fermentation of polysaccharide source such as starch from wheat
or corn, lactose whey or other disaccharides. This makes the polyester
polymer economical feasible. This polymer attributes to good oxygen and
moisture barrier properties render a fair tensile strength which makes them
appropriate for packaging purpose. Currently, PLA is employed in various
packages like water bottles, paperboard coatings for cartons, disposable
food service tableware items are a few to name [15].
PHB
Polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) belongs to the family of Poly-β-
hydroxyalcanoate (PHA) which is naturally produced by bacterial from
lipids and sugars. The polymer has a shown a good water barrier and thermal
resistance that makes it suitable in the packaging industry. However, due
its high production cost and low processability restrict its use on its own.
Therefore, blend with other polymers have worked out to overcome the
hurdle. Blends with chitin, chitosan, polyvinyl acetate, polyethylene oxide
etc., are being used [22].
Nanotechnology in Food Packaging
Nanotechnology is the science of manipulating materials based
upon its size on the scale of <100 nm [18]. Nanotechnology is a promising
technology that would make products cheaper and production economic
over time. Nanomaterials have widely been used in the food packaging
industry namely nanoparticles, nanotubes, nanoclay and nanoemulsion,
nano-sensors [6] (Table 2). Nanomaterials possess high surface-volume
ratio and surface activity to their nano sizes [18]. Nanomaterials are the
materials of future which can be serve to improve the mechanical strength

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and barrier properties, biodegradability of existing polymers for application
in food packaging.
Nanoparticles Employed for Packaging of Food
Nanoparticles of organic materials like chitosan, zein, and cellulose
have been used in the food industry as reinforcing materials in preparation
of packaging materials. Additionally inorganic nanoparticles like silver,
titanium, silicon, clay have been employed as antimicrobial agents in food
packaging [5, 25].
Biodegradable polymers from proteins like zein are GRAS
(generally recognized as safe) biopolymer, has low toxicity, biodegradable
in nature. Zein films can be prepared by blending either with other polymers
or nanomaterials, improving barrier properties and mechanical properties
of whey protein isolate films incorporated with zein nanoparticles for food
packaging [20]. Studies have shown zein nanoparticles significantly
improve the barrier properties and mechanical attributes of the films,
making these bio-polymeric films fit for packaging of food.
The prospective application of enhanced biodegradability and
mechanical properties and antimicrobial activity of PVA matrix by addition
of cellulose nanocrystals and chitosan nanoparticles, these materials
attribute biodegradability to these novel polymers [7]. Likewise similar
study on clay nanomaterials reinforced with polymers improve mechanical
strength, barrier properties against volatile compounds [4] and moisture
hence, can find application in packaging of aroma sensitive products like
spices.
Nanotubes
Another innovation in the field of nanotechnology is the use of
nanotube. Nanotube is a wire-like structure, composed mostly of carbon
[8]; nanotubes commonly employed in food packaging are clay (halloysite)
and carbon nanotubes. As clay and carbon nanotubes have high aspect
ratio, and can considerably improve mechanical strength of polymers when
reinforced within the matrix of polymers [6].
Novel bionanocomposite using poly (3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-
hydroxyvalerate) PHBV reinforced with multi-walled carbon nanotubes,
these nanotubes improved the mechanical, barrier and migration properties
of PHBV. The migration level of nanocomposite was complying with the
current regulatory standards [30].
The effect of halloysite (Clay) nanotubes on functional pectin bio-

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nanocomposites for purpose of food packaging [16]. Halloysite nanotubes
dispersed evenly in pectin matrix and eventually developed functional
biofilms with antimicrobial properties; also they attributed to the increased
tensile and thermal properties to the functional films, and could be
potentially commercialized for packaging of food.
Table 2: Application of Nanotechnology in Food Industry
Edible Coatings and Films
Edible packaging is a preferred method of packaging as it provides
the food material at contact a barrier from the external environment, impart
mechanical strength and enhance sensory characteristics of the product. It
is difficult to replace conventional packaging with edible coatings, edible
packaging can form secondary package to provide protection to food from
external environment [11].
Biodegradable polymers maybe employed as edible films on
individual product for instance fruits [20]. Edible coatings can be prepared
using polysaccharides, proteins and lipids. The material for preparation of
edible films is based upon the type of food product considered for
packaging. For instance, waxes have been commonly employed for coating
of fruits like Apple, Oranges for decreasing moisture levels and retardation
of respiration rates. Lipids have good barrier properties hence, makes it
suitable for coating confectionery products.
Intelligent packaging using Nanosensors
Intelligent packaging (IP) provides information about the real-time
status of packaged food, thereby communicating and informing the

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consumers. IP also contributes to overall safety of food by improving
HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points) [9].We notice the
“Manufacturing Date” and “Expiry Date” on food products, but are unaware
whether the product was stored at the desired temperature and environment,
and unsure about the state of the food inside the pack. Hence, IP is a dynamic
packaging technique that employs sensors for time, temperature, moisture
and spoilage indicators to inform about the safety of the food product.
Nanosensors are aid in detection of spoilage of food product,
chemical contaminants, and presence of gases within the food package.
They can be useful tool to maintain food safety, by providing real-time
status of the food within the package.
Below are some of the nanosensors used for packaging if food-
1) O2 detectors
These sensors detect the levels of O2 present in the headspace of
modified atmospheric packaged products. These detectors have
been developed using nanoparticles of TiO2 and SnO2 for detection
of oxygen [14, 19] as O2 is involved browning reactions and
rancidity of food materials.
2) Electronic nose (E-nose)
E-nose mimics the human nose in revealing of different types of
odours and subsequently helps in detecting flavours, aroma and
spoilage detection. These sensors can detect the quality and quantity
of odour present in a particular commodity. Studies by [21] on E-
nose were done to distinguish between fresh and deteriorated
chicken broiler samples, the results of e-nose analysis was in co-
relation with microbiological, physical and microbial results. ZnO
nanotubes also have been employed to develop E-nose to detect
impurities in gas mixtures [13].
3) Time-Temperature indicator
Temperature is an essential parameter responsible for physical,
chemical and spoilage conditions of food. Time-Temperature
Indicators (TTI) is a visual indicator which records and monitors
the safety of food. Chilled products are temperature sensitive and
should be stored at specific temperatures to avoid spoilage.
4) RFID (Radio Frequency identification)
RFID is a promising technology for supply chain management,

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generated information on traceability of materials. These tags store
identification numbers and can retrieve information about the
particular ID number from the database, also there some RFID
tags which have sensors to detect temperature, pH, relative
humidity, pressure of products [2].
Public Acceptability
Nanotechnology has application in most areas of food technology
and processing. They can be efficiently applied for packaging of food,
edible coatings and films with properties not limited to high barrier
properties, lower migration of substances, improved stability, and
antimicrobial activity. Since the greatest challenge in current times is that
of regulatory and compliance bodies to educate the public about the
implications of food nanotechnology. These bodies also fail to put forth
appropriate guidelines for materials used and risks associated with the same.
The public perceive nanotechnology as something that is unsafe,
has increased risk of causing dreadful disease; hence they are not open to
accept a new concept or technology in the area of food processing. Extensive
studies are carried out by researchers to learn about the effect of
nanomaterials and safe applications of nanomaterials in silico. It would
probably take few years to be completely aware of the risks and proper
application of these materials in real time. To gain public acceptance for
usage of food packages processed by nanotechnology, it will be essential
to educate public about the environmental impacts, health risks and
advantages of the existing packages over these novel packaging techniques.
Conclusion
The increasing consumer demands and changes in preference for
safer and longer shelf-life of products continually have inspired researchers
for extensive studies on smarter and greener packaging materials. These
smart and sustainable polymeric packaging can certainly be the future of
the packaging industry, as it would be comparatively cheaper due to the
abundance of raw materials in the environment. Additionally, the public
should be educated about the application of nanotechnology and
nanosensors within the food package, as it the tomorrow of packaging
material. The exciting the arena of nanotechnology in food packaging should
be completely explored and shared with the public for their trust and
acceptability over time.

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