Functional Nanomaterials as Smart Food Packaging: A Brief Review

Abstract:

In order to safeguard the sustainability of world food production, it is important to explore innovative pathways to enhance crop yields, to minimize post-harvest loss and to escalate the shelf life of food. Nanotechnology has offered a new template in developing new strategies for sustainable food production. It enables the engineering of multifunctional materials through manipulating the matter at 1-100 nm where quantum effects dominate the particle properties. Among many potential materials, nanohybrids and nanocomposites have already conjured up speculation about a seismic shift, but the pace of development is modest. In the context of modern developments, smart packaging has gained a greater scientific interest due to their ability to offer much functionality other than providing the physical protection of food against environmental impacts. Here, we explore the role of engineered nanomaterials as smart packaging materials with a particular insight into recently developed strategies to curtail the post-harvest loss and to improve the shelf life. A particular emphasis will be made to discuss bio-nanocoatings, nanoclays, metal/metal oxide nanoparticles, and carbon-based nanohybrids/nanocomposites along with current challenges, safety concerns, and future prospects of these nanotechnological advancements in diminishing the post-harvest loss.