Biodegradable foams in the development of food packaging

Abstract

The use of biodegradable and renewable-source polymers as substitutes for petroleum-based plastic packaging has been increasingly discussed by the academic community over the last few decades, particularly application in food packaging. Between the conventional plastic materials that have been used for food packaging, expanded polystyrene (EPS) is not degradable and is difficult to recycle, creating environmental issues. The development of biodegradable materials is an alternative to replace EPS. This chapter discusses recent advances in the development of biodegradable foams for food packaging, the main processes employed to produce foams with different cellular structures and properties, such as extrusion and baking, polymers that have been used to produce these foams, and their resulting water sorption capacity, morphological, mechanical and barrier properties.