Nanoparticles in food packaging: Opportunities and challenges

Abstract

Packaging is the last stage of food processing and a successful package is one that protects a product or contents from environment for a period of time with a reasonable cost. The package affects the quality of foods by controlling the degree of factors connected with processing, storage and handling that can act on components of food. Use of nanotechnology in science brings great opportunities to many industries including food packaging industry. Recently, various engineered nanomaterials such as nanoclays and metallic nanoparticles have been introduced to food packaging as functional additives. Their positive effects on developed packaging materials have been extensively reported. Nanoclays and metallic nanoparticles are also promising in active packaging technology, an innovative technology for food preservation based principally on mass transfer interactions between systems "food/packaging". These nanoparticles have been applied to packaging system using different ways. This chapter aims to give an overview about the use of nanoparticles for food packaging and introduce the nanoclay and metallic nanoparticle types. Recent developments on active packaging produced by the use of nanoparticles are summarized. Migration studies and their safety issues are also discussed.