Biodegradable Polymers in Food Packaging Industry: Applications, Limitations and Solutions Thereof

Materials, including plastics, glass, metals, paper and paperboards which are traditionally used in food packaging industry have the disadvantage of migration into food material, resulting in pollutions, wastes and recycling problems. Plastic wastes from food packaging materials are always a big concern for the environment. Therefore, recent researches have been focused on finding suitable alternatives for these types of packaging materials. Eco-friendly biodegradable polymers can be considered as a suitable option. On the other hand, the use of such biopolymers as food packaging materials is subjected to several limitations. The major factors limiting their application in food packaging include brittleness, stiffness, thermal instability and high water vapor and gas permeability. Coating, blending, and chemical/physical modifications are the most recent strategies for improving the properties of biopolymers. This study discusses the properties and limitations of biodegradable polymers used in food packaging as well as approaches for their modification.