Papers

20 results
|
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

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

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 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

Evolution of Food Packaging and Its Effect on Human Food

This review traces the evolution of food packaging materials from ancient times to the present, covering the transition from natural materials to modern plastics and the associated concerns about chemical migration and microplastic generation. It discusses biodegradable and active packaging alternatives as part of sustainable food system innovation.

2025
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
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

Bio-Based Materials for Packaging

This review evaluates bio-based materials as sustainable alternatives for plastic packaging, examining the environmental performance, mechanical properties, and commercial viability of biopolymers in addressing the global plastic pollution crisis.

2022 International Journal of Molecular Sciences 30 citations
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

Transitioning of petroleum-based plastic food packaging to sustainable bio-based alternatives

This review explores the shift from traditional petroleum-based plastic food packaging to sustainable, bio-based alternatives driven by growing environmental concerns. The transition is motivated by the need to reduce plastic pollution, though bio-based solutions must still meet food safety and performance requirements.

2024 Sustainable Food Technology 101 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 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

Biodegradable Packaging Materials for Foods Preservation: Sources, Advantages, Limitations, and Future Perspectives

This review examines biodegradable packaging materials derived from natural sources as alternatives to conventional petroleum-based plastics for food preservation. Researchers found that materials made from polysaccharides, proteins, and lipids can effectively extend food shelf life while being more environmentally friendly. The study acknowledges that cost and performance limitations remain, but highlights recent advances in combining these natural materials with antimicrobial and antioxidant agents to improve their practical viability.

2023 Coatings 87 citations
Article Tier 2

Biocomposites and Poly(lactic acid) in Active Packaging: A Review of Current Research and Future Directions

This review examines how bio-based and biodegradable materials, especially polylactic acid (PLA), are being developed as sustainable alternatives for food packaging. While these materials aim to reduce petroleum-based plastic pollution, the review notes that biodegradable plastics can still break down into microplastics during their degradation process. Understanding the full lifecycle of these alternative materials is important for determining whether they truly reduce microplastic contamination.

2024 Polymers 15 citations
Article Tier 2

Biopolymer-based solutions for enhanced safety and quality assurance: A review

Researchers review how biopolymers are replacing petroleum-based plastics across the food industry, covering antimicrobial packaging, edible coatings, bioactive encapsulation, and smart polymer functions such as pH sensing and time-temperature monitoring that reduce food waste and microplastic pollution.

2024 Food Research International 28 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

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

Environmental Impact of Food Packaging Materials: A Review of Contemporary Development from Conventional Plastics to Polylactic Acid Based Materials

This review examined the environmental impacts of conventional food packaging plastics and assessed biopolymer alternatives such as PLA, discussing production from renewable feedstocks, material performance properties, and the potential for bioplastics to reduce fossil plastic waste in the packaging sector.

2020 Materials 627 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

Silver Bionanocomposites as Active Food Packaging: Recent Advances & Future Trends Tackling the Food Waste Crisis

This review examines how silver bionanocomposites embedded in biodegradable packaging materials can extend food shelf life by providing antimicrobial protection. Researchers found that these active packaging systems show promise for reducing both food waste and reliance on conventional plastic packaging. The study discusses recent advances in green synthesis methods that make silver nanoparticle production more sustainable and cost-effective.

2023 Polymers 62 citations