Nanotechnology: An emerging technology in packaging of food products

Abstract

Food packaging is a critical technology addressing the ever-increasing demands for convenience, freshness, ease, shelflife,\rsafety and security of food products. The main purpose of food packaging is to protect the food from microbial and\rchemical contamination, oxygen, water vapour and light. The type of packaging used therefore has an important role in\rdetermining the shelf-life of the food. Nanotechnology can be intervened to achieve the purpose of food packaging and\rit will become one of the most powerful forces for innovation in the food packaging industry. Nanoscience and\rnanotechnology have already been applied in various fields, such as computer electronics, communication, energy\rproduction, medicine and the food industry. The nanoscale devices are often manufactured with the view to imitate the\rnanodevices found in nature and include proteins, DNA, membranes and other natural biomolecules. Nanoscience and\rnanotechnology are new approaches to research and development that concern the study of phenomena and manipulation\rof materials at atomic scales, where material properties differ significantly from those at a larger scale. In the food\rpackaging arena, nano materials are being developed with enhanced mechanical and thermal properties to ensure better\rprotection of food from exterior mechanical, thermal, chemical or microbial effects.