In the past decades, most materials used in the food packaging industry are nonbiodegradable materials that pose increased environmental concerns and sustainability
issues. Hence, polymer-based biodegradable materials and edible films have been
developed to increase the shelf life of food products. Especially, biopolymer-based nanomaterials are engineered with multifunctional characteristics because of their size, surface
area, shelf life, thermal stability, and mechanical and barrier strength. These materials
display enriched properties of biodegradability, antimicrobial activity, and
biocompatibility and may have the possibility to replace plastic materials in future. Thus,
this review offers a brief overview of the classification of biopolymers, key parameters
that are important in food packaging films (including the role of plasticizers, cross-linkers,
pH, temperature, and relative humidity), and recent applications of novel biopolymer
nanocomposite materials used in the food industries.