New Trends in Food Packaging Industry

Introduction

During its shelf life, the packaging assures food safety and maintains its quality. The most commonly used material for making food packages worldwide is plastic. However, the usage of plastic packages has brought harmful effects to the environment. The build-up of plastic in the surroundings has gone to such an extent that even our drinking water is getting contaminated with microplastics. If we don’t stop using it, there will more plastic in the sea than fish, by weight, by 2050. As a departure from the past, we can see a tangible shift towards eco-friendly packages in the food packaging industry. Toeing the line, there have been innovations in the cling film packing, which is one of the most widely used methods of food packaging.

Food Packaging

Silk Fibroin Thin Films

Thin films made of silk fibroin are used to package perishable items such as apples, bananas, tomatoes, and strawberries. The silk fibroin material is similar in structure and function to collagen fibers found in the human body. Its unique characteristics such as polymorphism, conformability and hydrophobicity help it to reduce dehydration, gas diffusability and carbon dioxide production. Using these properties, the scientists at Tufts University have developed a water-based suspension that easily self-assembles on the surface of food items when they are dipped in it. After self-assembly, the film insulates the food surface and preserves its texture, aroma, and firmness.

Crab Shells and Tree Fiber Films

Another eco-friendly film can be made by combining uniquely the cellulose and chitin biopolymers. This is made by spraying alternatively crab-shell-derived chitin and tree-sourced cellulose to form multiple layers. This eco-friendly film is comparable in property to polyethylene terephthalate (PET). During its development, the scientists at the Georgia Institute of Technology School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering have found that the positively charged chitin nanofibers fit nicely with the negatively charged cellulose nanofibers to form crystalline films. Hence, the film impedes penetrations of gas molecules. For example, these films were found to reduce oxygen penetration by 73%. However, a lot of work needs to be done on the film to help it reduce the water vapor permeability. The results of the study suggest that this film can even provide suitable protection for foods with delicate or uneven surfaces.

Gluten Films

At a concentration of 12.5% and a pH of 5, wheat gluten films generally show better mechanical properties. To modify its mechanical and barrier properties, a group of scientists studied the effects of flaxseed gum, lauric acid and oligomeric procyanidins on water vapor permeability, peroxide value and mechanical properties and incorporated them in it. The resultant films were found to have a uniform, dense and hydrophobic properties. Hence, altered gluten films can be used to package salt, vegetables, oils, and other seasonings. In a separate study, the scientists have been able to reduce the Listeria counts in food by incorporating a bacteriocin-like substance in gluten films made from triticale flour.

Mango Waste Edible Films and Coatings

The production cost of biodegradable films can be brought down significantly by using mango peels. When these peels are used along with antioxidant extracts from seed kernels, the resultant films and coatings developed are found to reduce effectively the gas, especially water vapor, permeability, and good barrier properties. This improves the shelf life of the food. Apart from these, the films laced with antioxidant extracts improved polyphenol and antioxidant activities in food. Furthermore, peaches dipped in a solution containing extracts from mango peel and seed kernel showed 39% less oxygen consumption, 64% less ethylene production, and 29% less carbon dioxide production. Thus, we can surmise that mango peel usage reduces the production costs of edible films and coatings and bring down the harmful effects of food waste on our climate.

Conclusion

Recent studies have thrown open viable solutions as an alternative to plastic films in the food packaging industry. Some of these solutions add more benefits like greater antioxidant activity, reduced microbial activity, and other bioactive properties. Now, it is up to the stakeholders in the food packaging industry to take appropriate steps to bring biodegradable films in their product lines.