Papers

61,005 results
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Review Tier 2

Current trends in biopolymers for food packaging: a review

This review covers the latest developments in biopolymer-based food packaging, including biodegradable films, edible coatings, and active or smart packaging systems. Researchers found that while these sustainable alternatives show promise, they still face challenges in matching the moisture, heat, and barrier properties of conventional petroleum-based plastics. The study highlights ongoing efforts to improve these materials so they can realistically replace traditional plastic packaging.

2023 Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems 130 citations
Article Tier 2

Design of new biopolymers for biomedicine and food-packaging

Researchers review new biopolymer designs intended for biomedical and food packaging applications, aiming to replace fossil-fuel-based plastics with biodegradable alternatives from renewable sources. Widespread adoption of such materials could significantly reduce long-term microplastic pollution.

2019 AMS Dottorato Institutional Doctoral Theses Repository (University of Bologna) 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Advancements in the biopolymer films for food packaging applications: a short review

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.

2024 Biotechnology for Sustainable Materials 43 citations
Article Tier 2

Biopolymer-based functional films for packaging applications: A review

This review examined recent advances in biopolymer-based functional films for food packaging, covering active and intelligent packaging approaches that incorporate functional ingredients to preserve food quality, improve safety, and extend shelf life with minimal environmental impact.

2022 Frontiers in Nutrition 137 citations
Article Tier 2

Multifunctional Application of Biopolymers and Biomaterials

This paper is not about microplastics; it is a broad review of multifunctional applications of biopolymers and biomaterials across medicine, packaging, and engineering.

2023 International Journal of Molecular Sciences 9 citations
Systematic Review Tier 1

A Review on Biopolymer-Based Biodegradable Film for Food Packaging: Trends over the Last Decade and Future Research

This systematic review explores biodegradable packaging made from natural materials like starch and proteins as alternatives to conventional plastics. Reducing plastic packaging is important because traditional plastics break down into microplastics that contaminate food and the environment.

2023 Polymers 138 citations
Article Tier 2

Biodegradable biopolymers for active packaging: demand, development and directions

This review examines how biodegradable biopolymers can be used for active food packaging, addressing both plastic waste and food waste challenges while meeting industry demand for sustainable packaging solutions.

2022 Sustainable Food Technology 172 citations
Article Tier 2

A Comprehensive Review of Biodegradable Polymer-Based Films and Coatings and Their Food Packaging Applications

This review covers the development of biodegradable polymer-based films and coatings as alternatives to conventional plastic food packaging. While these bio-based materials reduce long-term environmental pollution, the review notes that they can still break down into microplastic particles under certain conditions. The shift to biodegradable packaging may reduce but not eliminate the food packaging contribution to microplastic pollution and human exposure.

2022 Materials 221 citations
Article Tier 2

A Review on Replacing Food Packaging Plastics with Nature-Inspired Bio-Based Materials

Researchers reviewed bio-based materials inspired by nature as sustainable alternatives to petroleum-based food packaging plastics. The study highlights that while conventional plastic packaging is effective for food preservation, its environmental impact has driven research into biodegradable and compostable alternatives that could reduce plastic waste and microplastic generation.

2025 Foods 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Plastics in Food Packaging: Trends, Innovations and Environmental Impact

This review surveys the landscape of plastic food packaging — from conventional polyethylene and PET to emerging smart and biodegradable materials — examining how plastics protect food, how they degrade into microplastics, and how innovators are responding to mounting environmental pressure. It covers advanced technologies like nanomaterial-based packaging, active systems that extend shelf life, and IoT-enabled smart packaging. The paper contextualizes microplastic pollution as a growing concern driving the packaging industry toward bio-based and circular alternatives.

2025 Annual Research & Review in Biology 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Bio-based materials for barrier coatings on paper packaging

Researchers reviewed bio-based polymer coatings for paper packaging, evaluating how naturally renewable biopolymers can replace petroleum-derived synthetic coatings to provide effective oxygen, oil, and moisture barriers while reducing environmental impact.

2022 Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery 140 citations
Article Tier 2

Sustainable and Bio-Based Food Packaging: A Review on Past and Current Design Innovations

This review covers innovations in food packaging materials, including bio-based and biodegradable options, smart sensors that detect spoilage, and active packaging that extends shelf life. Understanding packaging alternatives is relevant to microplastic concerns because conventional plastic packaging is a major source of micro- and nanoplastic contamination in food.

2023 Foods 318 citations
Article Tier 2

Materials

This paper reviews advances in nanocomposite and biopolymer-based food packaging materials, noting that microplastic pollution has been detected globally and is a recognized threat to ecosystem and human health. It briefly contextualises microplastics as a motivation for developing biodegradable packaging alternatives, though the primary focus is materials science rather than microplastics research per se.

2023
Article Tier 2

Recent Advances in Biopolymers for Biomedical and Packaging Applications

This review examines recent advances in biopolymers -- including polysaccharides, proteins, and synthetic biopolymers -- for applications in biomedical and packaging fields. The authors highlight the appeal of biopolymers as sustainable, biodegradable, and biocompatible alternatives to conventional petroleum-based materials.

2025 The Bombay Technologist
Article Tier 2

Application of Nanotechnology in Sustainable Food Packaging

This review examines nanotechnology applications in sustainable food packaging, covering how nano-enhanced biodegradable biopolymers improve barrier properties and food safety while addressing plastic pollution and reducing reliance on conventional single-use plastics.

2024 Advances in environmental engineering and green technologies book series 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Bio-based and Sustainable Food Packaging Technology: Relevance, Challenges and Prospects

A review assessed bio-based and sustainable food packaging technologies, evaluating their relevance as replacements for conventional plastic packaging that generates microplastic pollution. The study identifies the most promising materials and the barriers to scaling up plastic-free food packaging.

2025 Journal of Biomaterials 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Bio-Based Smart Materials for Food Packaging and Sensors – A Review

This review examined bio-based smart packaging materials that combine sustainability with real-time food quality monitoring through integrated sensors. Researchers explored how biodegradable and renewable packaging materials with embedded bio-based sensors could help reduce food waste, increase shelf life, and decrease reliance on conventional petroleum-based plastics in the food industry.

2020 Frontiers in Materials 180 citations
Article Tier 2

Edible and Functionalized Films/Coatings—Performances and Perspectives

This review covers recent advances in edible and biodegradable food films and coatings made from biological materials, examining their performance properties and potential as sustainable replacements for conventional petroleum-based food packaging.

2020 Coatings 116 citations
Article Tier 2

Edible Biopolymers-Based Materials for Food Applications—The Eco Alternative to Conventional Synthetic Packaging

This review examines edible biopolymer-based packaging materials including proteins, polysaccharides, and lipids as eco-friendly alternatives to conventional synthetic packaging, evaluating their mechanical properties, barrier performance, and biodegradability for food applications.

2021 Polymers 21 citations
Article Tier 2

Recent innovations in the developments of biopolymer-based materials for the removal of micro- and nanoplastics: A review of performance, critical factors, practicability and knowledge gaps

A review of recent innovations in biopolymer-based materials for various applications assessed how bio-derived polymers are being developed to reduce reliance on fossil-fuel plastics. The transition to biopolymers is relevant to reducing the long-term sources of microplastic pollution.

2025 International Journal of Biological Macromolecules 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Sustainable biodegradable coatings for food packaging: challenges and opportunities

This review looks at biodegradable coatings made from both bio-based and petroleum-based materials as alternatives to traditional plastic food packaging. These sustainable coatings aim to reduce plastic waste while still protecting food, though challenges remain in matching the performance of conventional plastic packaging.

2024 Green Chemistry 200 citations
Article Tier 2

Valorization of Biopolymers in Sustainable Material Development

This research evaluates the potential of biopolymers such as polysaccharides, proteins, and microbial polymers as sustainable alternatives to petroleum-based plastics. The study highlights how conventional plastics contribute to microplastic contamination in biological systems and examines how biopolymer valorization could help address ecological degradation from persistent plastic waste.

2026 International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology (IJISRT)
Article Tier 2

Insight on Incorporation of Essential Oils as Antimicrobial Substances in Biopolymer-Based Active Packaging

The study reviews the development of biopolymer-based active packaging systems that incorporate essential oils as antimicrobial agents for food preservation. Researchers discuss how these technologies can extend shelf life, reduce food waste, and improve food safety, while noting challenges around scalability and regulatory considerations.

2023 Antibiotics 50 citations
Article Tier 2

Innovative Biobased and Sustainable Polymer Packaging Solutions for Extending Bread Shelf Life: A Review

This review examined innovative biobased and sustainable polymer packaging materials as alternatives to conventional petroleum-derived plastics for extending bread shelf life, summarizing the current state of biobased packaging development and its potential for reducing plastic pollution from the food industry.

2023 Polymers 19 citations