Metal oxide nanoparticles as active food packaging components

Abstract

Replacement of non-degradable food packaging materials with a biodegradable alternative enables reduction of environmental pollution. Metal oxides nanoparticles are good candidates for enhancing and ensuring good mechanical, thermal and barrier properties of biodegradable polymer packaging films. Their incorporation in biodegradable food packaging films has also lead to enhanced antioxidant, antifungal and antibacterial properties of the food packaging and also oxygen barrier properties, UV protection, oxygen and ethylene scavenging resulting in an active food packaging material. The synthesis method has a significant influence on the resulting properties of metal oxide nanoparticles. Green synthesis using plant extracts and extracts of plant bio-waste as reducing and capping agents are one direction for obtaining metal oxide nanoparticles with improved antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. Utilization of bio-waste materials both for metal oxide nanoparticle synthesis and as a source of biopolymers for packaging enables better environmental protection and ensures a circular bioeconomy. In selection of metal oxide nanoparticles suitable for application in active packaging bio-nano-composites special attention needs to be paid to nanoparticle migration and cytotoxic activity in order to produce safe, active and biodegradable food packaging materials for the future.