Functionalized nanomaterials driven antimicrobial food packaging: A technological advancement in food science

Food packaging is an integral part of the food production and lies in the core of food manufacturing business, and becomes a sole vivacious policy for ensuring the quality of food. Avoidance of wastage, reduction in preservative utility and preclusion of spoilage are some of the important functionalities of packaging materials used in food industry. Old-fashioned strategies of food packaging although achieved good quality assurance in foods, but the major limitations of conventional strategies lie in inefficient control regarding microbial growth. Imparting antimicrobial functionality and augmentation in barrier characteristics are some of the potent applications for which nanomaterials were utilized previously. Evolved emerging trends also encompasses the utilization of functionalized nanomaterials. Refining the efficiency of antimicrobial nanocomposites that are to be utilized in food packaging substances, have always been the top priority behind their usage. Since the incorporation of functionalized nanomaterials/nanocomposites, the neutralization rate of microbes by packaging materials has encountered a steep rise. This review initially shed light on different functionalized nanomaterials used in antimicrobial food packaging and their impact on the environment and humans. The latter section briefly discusses about the use of functionalized nanomaterials in other areas of food safety apart from food packaging.

Automated summary

Food packaging is essential for ensuring food quality, with traditional strategies often having limitations in controlling microbial growth, which can be improved through the use of nanomaterials. Nanomaterials enhance antimicrobial properties in food packaging, resulting in increased neutralization rate of microbes by packaging materials.