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Advancements in the biopolymer films for food packaging applications: a short review
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This review covers advances in biodegradable biopolymer films being developed to replace conventional plastic food packaging, which breaks down into microplastics that contaminate soil and water. While these plant-based alternatives show promise for reducing microplastic pollution, they still need improvements in strength and durability before they can compete with conventional plastics at commercial scale.
Abstract Plastic-based films that are commonly used in the food packaging industry are tough to recycle due to their sorting issue and these films do not decay as they photodegrade into microplastics. These microplastics transport from the air and accumulate in soil, storm drains, and waterways. Recent initiatives in the food packaging industry have led to the development of edible and biodegradable films as sustainable alternatives to synthetic polymer-based plastics. These films, which are biocompatible, biodegradable, and serve as protective coatings on food surfaces, are designed to enhance shelf life by guarding against oxidation, moisture, and microbial spoilage. Recent advancements in polymeric films resulted in the development of high-performance, UV-blocking, nano-engineered, and intelligent pH-sensitive films, along with multilayer, heat-sealable, and active variants. These advanced materials not only prevent food deterioration but also facilitate the early detection of spoilage. However commercial success of these films which have been developed at a lab scale is still challenging due to unsatisfactory mechanical, barrier, thermal, and optical properties than synthetic films. Furthermore, an in-depth understanding related to human interaction, biodegradability, safety studies, scalability, and machinability is required to develop sustainable bioplastic films. Graphical Abstract
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