An Overview of the Application of Nanomaterials and Biodegradable Polymers in the Food Packaging Industry

Oil-based products have led to a brilliant and magnificent civilization for the development of human society, but these materials have also caused serious damage to the environment and human health. Food coating with biodegradable polymers and nanomaterials can increase the preservation of nutritional value and shelf-life, improve the quality, and increase food safety, and can be a natural and suitable alternative to common plastic materials used in packaging industry. Ensuring the protection of the quality and taste of food products, increasing the durability, and reducing the packaging wastes is the priority of researchers. Synthetic plastics are widely used, especially in food packaging industry, and cause problems in disposal and recycling. These issues have caused increasing concerns about environmental pollution and destruction. Therefore, it is possible to address these challenges by developing of biodegradable polymers and nanomaterials. In addition, consumers demand sustainable (durable) packaging materials that reduce the environmental problems associated with plastic wastes. In this article, the applications of nanomaterials and biodegradable polymers in the packaging of food products are reviewed. In these composite materials, effective nanoparticles (i.e., gold, copper, copper oxide, and silver nanoparticles) have combined with biodegradable and eco-friendly polymers (i.e., gelatin and cellulose obtained from natural resources).