Permeability of biodegradable film comprising biopolymers derived from marine origin for food packaging application: A review

Background: Packaging is a fundamental requirement for ensuring the quality and safety of industrialized food from the production site to the table. The most commonly used packaging film materials are composed of petroleum-based polymers, which create significant environmental issues owing to their difficult recycling and degradation characteristics. In contrast, packaging films made from marine biopolymers often provide good biodegradability, sustainability, and safety. Among the mechanical, permeability, thermal, and optical properties of marine biopolymer films relevant for use in food packaging, gas permeability (GP) governs gas exchange between the interior and exterior of the packaging, which is of great significance for extending food shelf life. Scope and approach: This review provides a comprehensive overview of common marine-sourced biopolymers used in food packaging and their GP. The review also covers GP requirements with respect to different food types, testing methods and principles for measuring GP in biopolymer-based films, and material modifications intro-duced to improve GP. Further, the current research trends and future prospects in this field are also discussed. Key findings and conclusions: Fresh foods differ in their requirements for the equilibrium atmosphere within packaging, leading to different requirements for GP. The selection of packaging materials should consider the type, characteristics, storage temperature, and humidity of fresh foods. Marine biopolymer films may have limitations that can be improved through non-thermal modification, blending, layer-by-layer assembly, cross -linking, and nanomaterial reinforcement. Future research should focus on combining active and smart pack-aging technologies with marine biopolymer films and exploring efficient recycling methods for these materials.

Automated summary

This review provides a comprehensive overview of marine-sourced biopolymers used in food packaging and their gas permeability. Selection of packaging materials should consider the specific requirements of different types of fresh foods. Non-thermal modification, blending, layer-by-layer assembly, cross-linking, and nanomaterial reinforcement can improve the limitations of marine biopolymer films. Future research should focus on combining active and smart packaging technologies with marine biopolymer films and exploring efficient recycling methods.