Bio-nanocomposite Materials for Food Packaging Applications: Types of Biopolymer and Nano-sized Filler

Majority of materials employed for food packaging are non-biodegradable materials which do not meet increasing demands in society for sustainability and environmental safety. Thus, numerous biopolymers have been exploited to develop biodegradable food packaging materials. Nonetheless, the usage of biopolymers has been limited due to the poor mechanical and barrier properties. These properties can be enhanced by adding reinforcing nano-sized compounds or fillers to form composites. This article reviews variety types of biopolymer and nano-sized filler used to form bio-nanocomposite materials. (C) 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.