Papers

20 results
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Article Tier 2

Recent advancements in alginate-based films for active food packaging applications

This review covers advances in alginate-based films as alternatives to plastic food packaging, which could help reduce the amount of plastic entering the environment. While not directly about microplastic health effects, developing effective biodegradable packaging is one strategy to reduce the flow of plastics that eventually break down into microplastics. These plant-based films could help decrease the overall microplastic burden in food and the environment.

2024 Sustainable Food Technology 86 citations
Article Tier 2

Preparation and characterization of edible film from Barnyard millet starch

Researchers developed edible films from barnyard millet starch as a biodegradable alternative to synthetic plastic food packaging. Replacing conventional plastic packaging with plant-based edible films could significantly reduce the amount of packaging plastic that eventually breaks down into microplastics in the environment.

2021 International Journal of Chemical Studies 5 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

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

A Review of Recent Developments in Edible Films and Coatings-Focus on Whey-Based Materials

This review examines how edible films and coatings made from whey protein could serve as biodegradable alternatives to petroleum-based plastic packaging for food. By replacing conventional plastic wrapping, these materials could help reduce microplastic generation from food packaging, which is a significant source of human microplastic exposure.

2024 Foods 45 citations
Review Tier 2

Nanohybrids with potential barrier property and antimicrobial activity for application in sustainable polymer food packaging: A mini‐review

This review examines how combining two types of nanoparticles into "nanohybrids" can create better biodegradable food packaging with antimicrobial properties and improved barrier protection. Using biodegradable polymers with these nanohybrids could reduce the reliance on petroleum-based plastics that generate persistent microplastics. The research is relevant to human health because better food packaging alternatives could help cut down on the microplastic contamination that enters the food supply.

2024 Polymers for Advanced Technologies 14 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

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

Microplastics in food packaging: Analytical methods, health risks, and sustainable alternatives

This review examines how microplastics from food packaging materials can migrate into the food we eat during storage and handling. It evaluates analytical methods for detecting this contamination and suggests biodegradable polymers as promising eco-friendly alternatives, while noting that standardized testing methods and risk assessment frameworks are still needed.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials Advances 20 citations
Article Tier 2

Advances and recent trends in plant-based materials and edible films: a mini-review

This review highlights recent advances in plant-based packaging materials and edible films made from natural polysaccharides, proteins, and lipids as sustainable alternatives to conventional plastic packaging. Researchers explored how 3D printing and functionalization strategies can enhance the mechanical strength, barrier properties, and shelf-life extension of these materials. The findings point toward a growing toolkit of biodegradable options that could help reduce plastic waste in food packaging.

2024 Frontiers in Chemistry 39 citations
Article Tier 2

A review of biodegradable thermoplastic starches, their blends and composites: recent developments and opportunities for single-use plastic packaging alternatives

This review analyzed how different plasticizers, compatibilizers, and essential oils affect biodegradable thermoplastic starch blends and composites. The study suggests these materials offer promising alternatives to single-use plastic packaging, highlighting recent developments in improving their mechanical and barrier properties.

2022 Green Chemistry 214 citations
Article Tier 2

Mouse study suggests that starch-based microplastics may harm health

Mouse studies showed that starch-based microplastics — derived from plant-based plastic products like food packaging and disposable cutlery — caused health effects despite being marketed as biodegradable. The findings challenge assumptions about the safety of bioplastics and suggest their breakdown products may not be environmentally benign.

2025 C&EN Global Enterprise
Article Tier 2

Optimization Methods and Food Safety Consideration of Edible Film: A Mini Review

This mini-review explores edible films made from natural biopolymers like proteins, polysaccharides, and lipids as eco-friendly alternatives to conventional plastic food packaging. Researchers discuss optimization techniques for improving edible film properties and reducing production costs, along with safety considerations including FDA compliance and toxicity testing. The study highlights the potential of edible films to reduce reliance on non-biodegradable plastics and their associated microplastic accumulation.

2025 The Journal of Experimental Life Sciences 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Plastic materials used in the food industry, their influence on health, and potential solutions

This review examines how plastics used in food packaging gradually degrade into microplastics that leach into food and beverages, posing potential health risks to consumers. It surveys the main plastic types used in the food industry, the health concerns associated with microplastic and additive exposure, and proposed solutions including biodegradable alternatives. The findings underscore that everyday food packaging is a significant and underappreciated source of microplastic exposure for the general public.

2023 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Research progress of biomass-based food packaging materials

This review examines biomass-based food packaging materials — including starch, cellulose, proteins, and chitosan — as renewable and biodegradable alternatives to petroleum-based packaging, discussing development strategies to address current shortcomings in environmental performance, food safety, and functional diversity in the context of growing global microplastic pollution from packaging.

2025 SHILAP Revista de lepidopterología
Article Tier 2

Study of structure and properties of biodegradable composite films based on thermoplastic starch

Researchers studied the structure and properties of biodegradable thermoplastic starch composites as potential replacements for conventional polyethylene plastics. Using starch — a natural, renewable polymer — as a filler in plastic films could reduce microplastic pollution by enabling faster environmental breakdown.

2023 E3S Web of Conferences
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

Biodegradable and edible film: A counter to plastic pollution

This paper reviews biodegradable and edible films as alternatives to conventional plastic packaging in the food industry, which contributes a major share of global plastic waste. While not a complete solution, these alternative materials could meaningfully reduce plastic pollution if adopted more widely in food packaging applications.

2020 International Journal of Chemical Studies 18 citations
Article Tier 2

Starch/Pectin as Emerging Renewable Materials for Fabrication of Sustainable Bioplastics for Food Packaging Applications

Not relevant to microplastics — this paper describes the development of biodegradable food packaging films made from plant-based starch, pectin, and chitosan, focused on replacing conventional plastics rather than studying their pollution.

2023 Research Square (Research Square)
Article Tier 2

Food packaging Bio-based plastics: Properties, Renewable Biomass resources, Synthesis, and Applications

This review covers bio-based plastics made from renewable biomass sources as alternatives to petroleum-based packaging, aiming to reduce plastic pollution and extend food shelf life. While bio-based plastics can reduce environmental impact at end of life, their behavior after disposal and whether they generate microplastics still requires careful evaluation.

2023 Proceedings of the Voronezh State University of Engineering Technologies