Food packaging based on polymer nanomaterials

Since its starting in the 19th century, modern food packaging has made great advances as results of global trends and consumer preferences. These advances are oriented to obtain improved food quality and safety. Moreover, with the move toward globalization, food packaging requires also longer shelf life, along with the monitoring of safety and quality based upon international standards. Nanotechnology can address all these requirements and extend and implement the principal packaging functions - containment, protection and preservation, marketing and communications. Applications of polymer nanotechnology in fact can provide new food packaging materials with improved mechanical, barrier and antimicrobial properties, together with nano-sensors for tracing and monitoring the condition of food during transport and storage. The latest innovations in food packaging, using improved, active and smart nanotechnology will be analyzed. It will be also discuss the limits to the development of the new polymer nanomaterials that have the potential to completely transform the food packaging industry. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.