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Eco-Smart Packaging: A Green Approach to Prolonging Freshness of Chicken and Chicken Products
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Researchers reviewed advances in sustainable bio-based packaging systems for chicken and poultry products, finding that materials incorporating natural extracts, ZnO nanoparticles, and biopolymer matrices can extend shelf life and reduce the microplastic release and environmental harm associated with conventional plastic packaging.
Food waste is a critical global concern, with a significant portion resulting from the spoilage of perishable items like meat and meat products. Among these, chicken is the most popular and widely consumed protein-rich staple but highly susceptible to microbial degradation, leading to foodborne illnesses and economic losses. Novel preservation methods are needed to address this challenge. Advanced packaging systems are playing an important role in extending preservation beyond mere protection, containment and information. A key advantage of these advanced packaging solutions is their eco-friendly nature, compared to conventional plastic-based packaging, thereby offering sustainable alternatives while maintaining food quality and safety. Conventional plastic packaging preserves chicken to a limited extent with passive protection, while its non-biodegradability, microplastic release and resource depletion pose serious environmental concerns. This review explores advancements in sustainable chicken packaging, focusing on bio-based materials and their role in its preservation. Key trends include the enhancement of antimicrobial efficacy, use of natural extracts-particularly essential oils-as functional additives and the increasing adoption of bio-based nanocomposites, with PVA and gelatin being the most commonly used matrix. Among various nanomaterials, ZnO nanoparticles are frequently incorporated due to their safety and compliance with permissible limits. The barrier properties of packaging against UV, gases and moisture are essential to prevent oxidation, preserve the colour, odour and texture of chicken and chicken products and inhibit microbial growth, under diverse storage conditions. However, research on migration and toxicity is limited, raising concerns about chemical leaching, health effects and bioaccumulation, while large-scale use of bio-based packaging depends on production ease, scalability and affordability.
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Food Packaging Materials with Special Reference to Biopolymers-Properties and Applications
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This review examines food packaging materials with emphasis on biodegradable polymers such as PHA, PLA, and starch-based plastics, finding they outperform conventional non-biodegradable plastics in environmental impact while maintaining protective functionality. Replacing petroleum-based packaging with biodegradable alternatives directly reduces the source of microplastic contamination entering food systems and the broader environment.
Agro-Waste-Based Cushioning Material for Sustainable Protective Packaging: A Comprehensive Review
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This review surveys agricultural byproducts—rice straw, mycelium, coconut husk, and others—as biodegradable replacements for foam packaging materials like EPS and EPE, which shed microplastics and nanoplastics as they degrade. Shifting protective packaging to compostable agro-waste materials could meaningfully reduce one underappreciated source of plastic pollution entering food chains and ecosystems.
Microplastics and nanoplastics from food packages: linking contamination and exposure to potential health impacts and mitigation strategies
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Everyday things like microwaving food in plastic, opening and closing bottle caps, or even freezing food can shed millions of tiny plastic particles into what you eat and drink. This review of existing research shows these particles can build up in our brain, liver, and other organs over time, and have been linked to higher risks of heart problems, fertility issues, and gut inflammation. The takeaway: simple swaps like using glass or steel containers instead of plastic, especially for heating food, may help lower your exposure.
Sustainable approaches for integrating intrinsic self-healing polymer coatings into food packaging systems
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This review examines self-healing biopolymer coatings for food packaging, highlighting their potential to autonomously repair mechanical damage and extend the functional lifespan of biodegradable materials while reducing microplastic fragment generation from degraded packaging. Standardized methods for quantifying multi-cycle healing performance are identified as the key barrier to translating these materials from laboratory research to commercial food packaging applications.
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