(Bio)polymer/ZnO Nanocomposites for Packaging Applications: A Review of Gas Barrier and Mechanical Properties

Nanotechnology is playing a pivotal role in improving quality of life due to its versatile applications in many areas of research. In this regard, nanoparticles have gained significant importance. Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) amongst other nanoparticles are being used in producing nanocomposites. Methods like solvent casting, solution casting, solvent volatilization, twin-screw extrusion, melt compounding and extrusion blow molding have been applied to produce ZnO NPs based (bio)polymer composites. These composites are of great interest in the research area of food packaging materials due to their improved multifunctional characteristics like their mechanical, barrier and antimicrobial properties. This paper gives an overview of the main methods to synthesize ZnO NPs, methods to incorporate ZnO NPs in (bio)polymers, and finally, the gas barrier and mechanical properties of the nanocomposites. As a conclusion, a maximum decline in oxygen, carbon dioxide and water vapor permeability was reported as 66%, 17% and 38% respectively, while tensile strength and young’s modulus were observed to increase by 32% and 57% respectively, for different (bio)polymer/ZnO nanocomposites.

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The effect of plasticizers and chitosan concentration on the structure and properties of Gracilaria sp.-based thin films for food packaging purpose

Polimery ◽

10.14314/polimery.2021.2.5 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 66 (2) ◽

Author(s):

M. Zulham Efendi Sinaga ◽

Saharman Gea ◽

Cut Fatimah Zuhra ◽

Yuan Alfinsyah Sihombing ◽

Emma Zaidar ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Thin Film ◽

Thin Films ◽

Mechanical Properties ◽

Food Packaging ◽

Antimicrobial Properties ◽

Water Vapor Permeability ◽

Vapor Permeability ◽

Chitosan Concentration ◽

Active Food Packaging ◽

Ft Ir

Gracilaria sp. is well known as one kind of species of red algae. The major component of polysaccharide in this alga is agar that mostly used for making thin film. In this study, the Gracilaria sp.-based thin film had been prepared using two plasticizers (glycerol and sorbitol, 0.1, 0.2, and 0.3 wt %), and chitosan (1, 2, and 3 wt %). The FT-IR analysis confirmed the interaction that happened among the component of the mixture of Gracilaria sp., plasticizers, and chitosan was based on hydrogen bonding due to the presence of -OH and -NH2 groups. The plasticizers and chitosan concentration have significant role to the mechanical properties of Gracilaria sp.-based thin film. The optimum concentration of plasticizers and chitosan based on mechanical testing result was found at 0.2 and 3.0 wt %, respectively. At those concentrations, the thin film that prepared with sorbitol showed the highest mechanical properties. Other characterizations, i.e. TGA (Thermogravimetric Analysis), SEM (Scanning Electron Microscopy), and WVP (Water Vapor Permeability) also brought the same result. The antimicrobial properties of the as prepared thin film in the presence of chitosan on agar medium and as a packaging on selected bread showed the Gracilaria sp.-based thin films was able to inhibit the growth of microbes. This antimicrobial activity can be used to declare the potential of Gracilaria sp.-based thin film as a new active food packaging.

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Physical, Mechanical, and Antimicrobial Properties of Carboxymethyl Cellulose Edible Films Activated with Artemisia sieberi Essential Oil

Journal of Food Quality and Hazards Control ◽

10.18502/jfqhc.7.1.2450 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

F. Salar Behrestaghi ◽

S. Bahram ◽

P. Ariaii

Keyword(s):

Mechanical Properties ◽

Contact Angle ◽

Essential Oil ◽

Carboxymethyl Cellulose ◽

Food Packaging ◽

Antimicrobial Properties ◽

Water Vapor Permeability ◽

Edible Films ◽

Vapor Permeability ◽

Artemisia Sieberi

Background: Edible films and coatings are biodegradable that can preserve the quality and extend the shelf life of foods. The aim of this study was to investigate the physical and mechanical properties, and antimicrobial activity of carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) film containing Artemisia sieberi Essential Oil (AEO). Methods: The studied parameters were the antibacterial activity and physical properties, including Water Vapor Permeability (WVP), Contact Angle (CA), solubility, Moisture Content (MC), and surface color; as well as mechanical properties including Elongation at break% (E%) and Tensile Strength (TS) of CMC incorporated with AEO at levels of 0 (control), 0.5, 1, and 1.5% v/v. Data were statistically analyzed by SPSS software. Results: Camphor (36.38%), 1,8-cineole (15.89%), β-Thujone (6.7%), and camphanone (6.2%) were the main components of AEO. The edible CMC film showed increase in WVP, contact angle, E%, darker color, and yellowness, with decreases in film solubility, MC, and TS after the incorporation of AEO. CMC film with 1.5% of AEO showed the highest a* (greenness) and b* (yellowness) values. The inhibition zones were 9.33, 11.5, and 17.30 mm for Staphylococcus aureus; and 8, 11.50, and 14.33 mm for Escherichia coli at AEO levels of 0.5, 1, and 1.5%, respectively. Conclusion: The overall results of this study showed that CMC films enriched with AEO could be beneficial in food packaging to retard food deterioration.

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Development of shrimp-based chitosan film and assessment of its mechanical, barrier and antimicrobial properties

E3S Web of Conferences ◽

10.1051/e3sconf/202017004003 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 170 ◽

pp. 04003

Author(s):

Jagruti Jankar ◽

Yogesh Nagargoje ◽

Yogita Chavan ◽

Jaydevi Jankar ◽

Akshay Kumar Sahoo

Keyword(s):

Food Packaging ◽

Antimicrobial Properties ◽

Chitosan Film ◽

Water Vapor Permeability ◽

Vapor Permeability ◽

Biodegradable Films ◽

Percent Elongation ◽

Maximum Resistance ◽

Cent Concentration ◽

Mechanical Barrier

You Utilization of biodegradable films is a need of food packaging industries in order to reduce the hazards related to plastic use and to extend the food’s shelf life. Various polysaccharides are in use for the purpose of making the films. In this research, chitosan based films were developed and its mechanical, barrier and antimicrobial properties were checked to fulfill the packaging requirements. Chitosan was extracted from shrimp waste and films were produced using 0.5-2 per cent concentrations. At ambient temperature, specific characteristics such as mechanical, barrier, and antimicrobial analysis were performed at an interval of two days. Among all, the films with 2 per cent chitosan showed best results in terms of tensile strength, thickness and percent elongation. Also, the films exhibited maximum resistance to water vapor permeability. The extracted chitosan at 2 per cent concentration had shown the maximum resistance against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. From the current investigation it can be said that films with 2 per cent chitosan could be used as biodegradable food packing materials and can serve as material which would maintain a good city and future of world by minimizing plastic hazards..

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Mechanical Properties and Tribological Behavior of MoS2-Enhanced Cellulose-Based Biocomposites for Food Packaging

Polymers ◽

10.3390/polym13111838 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (11) ◽

pp. 1838

Author(s):

Shih-Chen Shi ◽

Pramod Kumar Mandal ◽

Tao-Hsing Chen

Keyword(s):

Mechanical Properties ◽

Water Vapor ◽

Food Packaging ◽

Load Capacity ◽

Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose ◽

Water Vapor Permeability ◽

Synthetic Polymers ◽

Tribological Performance ◽

Vapor Permeability ◽

Potential Candidate

Synthetic polymers are the most commonly used polymers in daily life. Therefore, it is necessary to develop environmentally friendly polymers. Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) is a potential candidate for a biopolymer, owing to its unique properties. However, HPMC biopolymers have some disadvantages compared to synthetic polymers. In this study, the mechanical properties and tribological performance of MoS2 additive-enhanced cellulose matrix biocomposites were investigated in order to improve the properties of HPMC. MoS2 was incorporated into the HPMC matrix as a strengthening additive. The mechanical properties, bonding, and water vapor permeability of the composites were analyzed. The mechanical and vapor barrier properties of the HPMC films were significantly enhanced. The ultimate tensile strength and Young’s modulus of the composite films increased with the addition of up to 1 wt% MoS2. The water vapor permeability of HPMC films reduced when additives were incorporated. The wear test proves that the MoS2 additives can improve the tribological performance of the HPMC composite while reducing the friction coefficient. The main reason for enhanced tribological performance is the improvement in load capacity of the composite coating by the MoS2 additive. This MoS2/HPMC biocomposite can be used in food packaging.

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Metal-based nanoparticles, sensors, and their multifaceted application in food packaging

Journal of Nanobiotechnology ◽

10.1186/s12951-021-00996-0 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 19 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Antul Kumar ◽

Anuj Choudhary ◽

Harmanjot Kaur ◽

Sahil Mehta ◽

Azamal Husen

Keyword(s):

Food Packaging ◽

Review Paper ◽

Antimicrobial Properties ◽

Water Vapor Permeability ◽

Vapor Permeability ◽

Production Sector ◽

Food Industries ◽

Food Properties ◽

Current Review ◽

Packaging Efficiency

AbstractDue to the global rise of the human population, one of the top-most challenges for poor and developing nations is to use the food produces safely and sustainably. In this regard, the storage of surplus food (and derived products) without loss of freshness, nutrient stability, shelf life, and their parallel efficient utilization will surely boost the food production sector. One of the best technologies that have emerged within the last twenty years with applications in the packaging of food and industrial materials is the use of green mode-based synthesized nanoparticles (NPs). These NPs are stable, advantageous as well as eco-friendly. Over the several years, numerous publications have confirmed that these NPs exert antibacterial, antioxidant, and antifungal activity against a plethora of pathogens. The storage in metal-based NPs (M-NPs) does not hamper the food properties and packaging efficiency. Additionally, these M-NPs help in the improvement of properties including freshness indicators, mechanical properties, antibacterial and water vapor permeability during food packaging. As a result, the nano-technological application facilitates a simple, alternate, interactive as well as reliable technology. It even provides positive feedback to food industries and packaging markets. Taken together, the current review paper is an attempt to highlight the M-NPs for prominent applications of antimicrobial properties, nanosensors, and food packaging of food items. Additionally, some comparative reports associated with M-NPs mechanism of action, risks, toxicity, and overall future perspectives have also been made.

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Application of Solution Blow Spinning for Rapid Fabrication of Gelatin/Nylon 66 Nanofibrous Film

Foods ◽

10.3390/foods10102339 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (10) ◽

pp. 2339

Author(s):

Zhichao Yang ◽

Chaoyi Shen ◽

Yucheng Zou ◽

Di Wu ◽

Hui Zhang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mechanical Properties ◽

Water Vapor ◽

Composite Film ◽

Food Packaging ◽

Composite Films ◽

Water Vapor Permeability ◽

Vapor Permeability ◽

Nylon 66 ◽

Rapid Fabrication ◽

Solution Blow Spinning

Gelatin (GA) is a natural protein widely used in food packaging, but its fabricated fibrous film has the defects of a high tendency to swell and inferior mechanical properties. In this work, a novel spinning technique, solution blow spinning (SBS), was used for the rapid fabrication of nanofiber materials; meanwhile, nylon 66 (PA66) was used to improve the mechanical properties and the ability to resist dissolution of gelatin films. Morphology observations show that GA/PA66 composite films had nano-diameter from 172.3 to 322.1 nm. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray indicate that GA and PA66 had strong interaction by hydrogen bonding. Mechanical tests show the elongation at break of the composite film increased substantially from 7.98% to 30.36%, and the tensile strength of the composite film increased from 0.03 MPa up to 1.42 MPa, which indicate that the composite films had the highest mechanical strength. Water vapor permeability analysis shows lower water vapor permeability of 9.93 g mm/m2 h kPa, indicates that GA/PA66 film’s water vapor barrier performance was improved. Solvent resistance analysis indicates that PA66 could effectively improve the ability of GA to resist dissolution. This work indicates that SBS has great promise for rapid preparation of nanofibrous film for food packaging, and PA66 can be applied to the modification of gelatin film.

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Composite Film Based on Pulping Industry Waste and Chitosan for Food Packaging

Materials ◽

10.3390/ma11112264 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 11 (11) ◽

pp. 2264 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Ji-Dong Xu ◽

Ya-Shuai Niu ◽

Pan-Pan Yue ◽

Ya-Jie Hu ◽

Jing Bian ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mechanical Properties ◽

Oxygen Transfer ◽

Transfer Rate ◽

Food Packaging ◽

Oxygen Transfer Rate ◽

Composite Films ◽

Water Vapor Permeability ◽

Vapor Permeability ◽

Low Oxygen ◽

Content Ratio

Wood auto-hydrolysates (WAH) are obtained in the pulping process by the hydrothermal extraction, which contains lots of hemicelluloses and slight lignin. WAH and chitosan (CS) were introduced into this study to construct WAH-based films by the casting method. The FT-IR results revealed the crosslinking interaction between WAH and CS due to the Millard reaction. The morphology, transmittance, thermal properties and mechanical properties of composite WAH/CS films were investigated. As the results showed, the tensile strength, light transmittances and thermal stability of the WAH-based composite films increased with the increment of WAH/CS content ratio. In addition, the results of oxygen transfer rate (OTR) and water vapor permeability (WVP) suggested that the OTR and WVP values of the films decreased due to the addition of CS. The maximum value of tensile strengths of the composite films achieved 71.2 MPa and the OTR of the films was low as 0.16 cm3·μm·m−2·24 h−1·kPa−1, these properties are better than those of other hemicelluloses composite films. These results suggested that the barrier composite films based on WAH and CS will become attractive in the food packaging application for great mechanical properties, good transmittance and low oxygen transfer rate.

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Preparation and Characterization of Bioactive Chitosan-Based Films Incorporated with Olive Leaves Extract for Food Packaging Applications

Coatings ◽

10.3390/coatings11111339 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (11) ◽

pp. 1339

Author(s):

Enrica Musella ◽

Ismael Chahed el Ouazzani ◽

Ana Rita Mendes ◽

Cesare Rovera ◽

Stefano Farris ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Water Vapor ◽

Food Packaging ◽

Antimicrobial Properties ◽

Water Vapor Permeability ◽

Lag Phase ◽

Vapor Permeability ◽

Olive Leaves ◽

Chitosan Films

Chitosan films with olive leaf extract (OLE) incorporated at different concentrations were characterized regarding their antimicrobial, antioxidant and some relevant physical properties (i.e., solubility, water vapor permeability, and tensile properties). Results indicate that the active films have substantial antimicrobial activity against Listeria monocytogenes and Campylobacter jejuni mostly extending the microorganisms lag phase. A lower level of inhibition was found in the case of Escherichia coli. However, the OLE seems not to improve the intrinsic antimicrobial properties of the chitosan itself, except for C. jejuni. These results were confirmed with in situ testing using chicken. The chitosan films with OLE exhibited antioxidant activity, increasing with the OLE concentration, from 0.04 to 0.15 g/L ascorbic acid equivalents, corresponding to films with 10%–30% OLE relative to the chitosan. Chitosan films loaded with OLE exhibited a higher solubility in food simulants and a reduced permeability against water vapor. Overall, the combination of OLE and chitosan allows to obtain a promising active bio-based packaging solution for addressing safety and quality issues.

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Characterization of compisote edible films from aloe vera gel, beeswax and chitosan

Potravinarstvo Slovak Journal of Food Sciences ◽

10.5219/1177 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 13 (1) ◽

pp. 854-862 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Usman Amin ◽

Muhammad Azam Khan ◽

Muhammad Ehtasham Akram ◽

Abdel Rahman Mohammad Said Al-Tawaha ◽

Alexey Laishevtcev ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mechanical Properties ◽

Water Vapor ◽

Food Packaging ◽

Aloe Vera ◽

Water Vapor Permeability ◽

Edible Films ◽

Vapor Permeability ◽

Casting Technique ◽

Edible Packaging ◽

Superior Mechanical Properties

Environmental consciousness as well as individual’s demand for ready to eat food, recently, has changed the trends in food packaging leading to the development of biodegradable and edible packaging. Emulsified edible films have better transparency, superior mechanical properties and provide barriers to water and other atmospheric gases. Edible films if not consumed, biodegrad chemically. In present study, edible films were, initially, prepared using Chitosan and Aloe vera at different concentrations. Films were then subjected to physical and mechanical testing. Films with 20% Aloe vera had low thickness as compared to films with no Aloe vera. These films also had superior mechanical properties and lower water vapor permeability. Films with 20% Aloe vera were, then, selected and beeswax was dispersed in Chitosan-Aloe vera solution at concentration upto 2.0% followed by film preparation through casting technique. Thickness and water vapor permeability were observed to be improved with increase in concentration of beeswax. Tensile strength of edible films was also improved 1.3 times when concentration of beeswax increased from 0.5 to 2.0%. Percentage elongation decreased with increase in beeswax concentration in the emulsified films. No change in particle size was observed with change in concentration of beeswax. Emulsions were also stable at room temperatures. Decrease in transparency of emulsified edible films was observed with increase in beeswax content in the emulsified films. In addition, cost analysis of the films proved them reasonable to be used as an alternate of synthetic packaging materials.

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Protein-Based Films and Coatings for Food Industry Applications

Polymers ◽

10.3390/polym13050769 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (5) ◽

pp. 769

Author(s):

Vlad Mihalca ◽

Andreea Diana Kerezsi ◽

Achim Weber ◽

Carmen Gruber-Traub ◽

Jürgen Schmucker ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Food Packaging ◽

Meat Products ◽

Water Vapor Permeability ◽

Food Product ◽

Edible Films ◽

Vapor Permeability ◽

Area Of Interest ◽

Industry Applications ◽

Economic Perspectives ◽

Materials Used

Food packaging is an area of interest not just for food producers or food marketing, but also for consumers who are more and more aware about the fact that food packaging has a great impact on food product quality and on the environment. The most used materials for the packaging of food are plastic, glass, metal, and paper. Still, over time edible films have become widely used for a variety of different products and different food categories such as meat products, vegetables, or dairy products. For example, proteins are excellent materials used for obtaining edible or non-edible coatings and films. The scope of this review is to overview the literature on protein utilization in food packages and edible packages, their functionalization, antioxidant, antimicrobial and antifungal activities, and economic perspectives. Different vegetable (corn, soy, mung bean, pea, grass pea, wild and Pasankalla quinoa, bitter vetch) and animal (whey, casein, keratin, collagen, gelatin, surimi, egg white) protein sources are discussed. Mechanical properties, thickness, moisture content, water vapor permeability, sensorial properties, and suitability for the environment also have a significant impact on protein-based packages utilization.

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