Apropos and future prospects of bionanocomposites in food packaging applications

Bionanocomposites have gained a lot of attention by researchers in recent past times and have become material of preference in packaging meadow owing to their inimitable characteristics like as lightweight, high rigidity, superior performance, novelty, and ecofriendly nature. No wonder these new-fangled composite materials are replacing the nonbiodegradable traditional plastic packaging materials in diverse sectors to which food and agriculture are not an exception. Usually, an array of biopolymers mainly polysaccharides such as carboxymethyl cellulose, chitosan, cellophane, and starch are been implied in packaging; considering their nontoxicity and biodegradability, to minimize the resultant environmental hazards. However, adding up to the aforementioned boons, polysaccharides do have a few major limitations such as low water resistance and quite poor mechanical characteristics. Thus, nanomaterials (NMs) and bionanocomposites, on account of their versatile, phenomenal features have become precedent in food and processed food packaging applications. Bionanocomposites have been proven effectual and supercilious on grounds of their thermal, gas, and mechanical barriers augmenting properties. Moreover, they do not alter and/or hinder nontoxic and biodegradable nature of packaging. As such the list of NMs used in food packaging is fairly long; nonetheless, silver, zinc oxide, and titanium dioxide nanoparticles (NPs), and silicate nanoclays viz. kaolinite and montmorillonite can be listed as the few most preferred and favorable NMs corroborating to their effective barrier properties against flavoring compounds, carbon dioxide, and oxygen. In addition to foregoing materials, a range of NMs are appropriate in appending intelligent and/or smart properties to food packaging materials has been demonstrated by their antimicrobial potency, the capability of scavenging oxygen, and withstanding ability to higher levels of temperature and humidity. Uniform distribution of NPs amid the polymeric matrix and compatibility amongst the NMs and polymeric matrix are contemplated as the two major concerns while preparing the bionanocomposites. Hence, still, there is leeway and demand for improving the desirable properties and performance of bionanocomposites based packaging materials for their further advanced applications in the food packaging industry. In the present piece of writing, we have covered bionanocomposites relevance and future prospects with respect to diverse food packaging applications in great detail. It further encloses the advantages and disadvantages of current technologies as well as makes mention of where we are exactly heading toward in this sector.