Nanotechnology innovation in bioactive packaging for perishable foods - a review

Resumo

This paper provides a review of the use of nanotechnology in the primary packaging of chilled meat foods through the electrowinning of biodegradable polymers by incorporating essential oil. The main raw material for packaging production comes from non-renewable sources such as oil. However, synthetic polymers from this raw material generate a large volume of solid waste, making
it essential to search for new alternatives to supply the packaging market and decrease the environmental and ecological impact. The latest data from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations corroborate this problem by pointing out that 127 million tons of food are discarded every year in Latin America, and many foods are wasted because they are not appropriately packaged and thus without the guarantee of safe storage and transportation conditions. Food losses along the production and supply chains must be halved to contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. Thus, developing the national packaging industry for perishable foods is under discussion and motivates entrepreneurship, as it uses a significant amount of packaging. Moreover, it is increasingly expected to find sustainable alternatives in production lines to reduce environmental impacts and provide gains for packaged perishable products. Nonetheless, new studies must present the technologies that can be used, as well as the results and limitations of their application. These data can contribute to the production and scalability of these packages in industrial environments.