A Review of the Synthesis, Properties and Application of Nanoemulsions in the Packaging of Bioactive Foods

New packaging is not only responsible for including and protecting food from external factors, but also has other benefits that include increased storage time, prevent spoilage and nutrient loss, and determine the shelf life of food. Increased demand for foods with fresh properties, reduced synthetic additives and preservatives, low environmental degradation and safety, have led researchers and industries to develop milder processing technologies and more eco-friendly packaging solutions. In this regard, the use of nano-emulsions to improve food packaging performance is compatible with sustainable development and new functions in conventional coatings and films. Nano-emulsions that have unique optical stability and rheological properties, including: protection, encapsulating and delivery of hydrophobic bioactive and functional compounds (including natural preservatives such as: plant essential oils, nutraceuticals, vitamins, colors, and flavors, surfactants (including naturallyoccurringproteins and carbohydrates), are used to design nano-emulsions with the desired food grade for packaging applications. In this paper, nano-emulsions in biopolymer matrices used in food packaging are investigated as well as their potential antimicrobial activity against foodborne pathogens.