Agricultural By-Product Proteins: Emerging Source for Packaging Applications

Abstract

Regular use of petroleum-based plastic packaging films has led to environmental impact due to their total non-biodegradability. Substantially, the food industry generates waste and agricultural-based raw materials have recently been applied to produce biodegradable, renewable and safe to eat packaging materials as a viable alternative to aforesaid dire consequences. Agro packaging concept has emerged where valuable compounds from by-products such as proteins are extracted from animal or plant sources to produce biofilms. Proteins are generally superior to the qualities of other biological compounds available in agricultural by-products. Their ability to form films with better mechanical and barrier properties has been studied and researches are in the process of exploring novel technologies in developing sustainable food packaging materials that are edible and active. This review explores possible applications of animal and plant protein sources from the agricultural by-products in bio-based film production and the inherited properties of these films. Moreover, selected animal by-product proteins such as collagen, gelatin, casein, myofibrillar proteins, keratin as well as plant by-product proteins including soy protein, wheat gluten, corn-zein, canola protein are discussed in details with special reference to available redundant protein types, technologies applied to obtain films, mechanical properties, functions of films and their applications.