Smart biopolymers in food industry

Abstract

Over the course of the last decade, significant interest in the use of biopolymers within the food industry as smart and active polymer systems has emerged. Such polymers have been successfully utilized to entrap micronutrients within microparticles and antioxidant packaging and have also been employed within food quality monitoring systems, such as active and intelligent packaging systems. The technologies that are associated with smart and active biopolymers have the potential to drive the development of a new generation of intelligent/active packaging systems that integrate food quality monitoring systems and microparticles in a manner that extends the shelf life of food products and their nutritional value. This chapter provides an in-depth review of the techniques that are typically employed in the preparation and characterization of smart and active biopolymers, films and microparticles, their potential applications within the food industry, and the challenges that are associated with their use and development.