Poly (lactic acid) Bioactive Nanocomposites as Novel Food Packaging Materials

The progress of novel bioactive and antibacterial food packaging materials that prolong the shelf life of food is a significant purpose in food industry. Bioresource polymers like poly (lactic acid)(PLA) are superior compared with old style petroleum polymers like polypropylene. On the other hand, PLA is a natural based polymer that manufactured from sugar or starch in carbohydrate resources like rice , tapioca, molasses , wheat, sugar beet , corn, whey, wheat straw sugar cane, sweet potato, barley , corn stover and black wheat, so at recent years extruded PLA packages have been modified using phytochemical characterized preparations for extensive performs like cups, over wrap, blister packages and food containers. For improving renewable and degradable packaging materials, mixtures of PLA matrix with other fillers like anti-oxidants, proteins, vitamin E, rosin and various nanoparticles have also been explored in form of PLA nanocomposites applied as food packaging. This review paper aims at summarizing the researches on the new development of PLA nanocomposites for manufacturing active food packaging.