A review of recent advances in starch derived bionanocomposites for food packaging applications

Abstract

The utilization of materials derived from starch has attained remarkable interest in the present-day world, owing to their environmentally friendly attributes, like, sustainability, biodegradability, and low carbon footprint. Despite these advantages, starch-based materials exhibit certain limitations, such as deficient mechanical strength, subpar temperature resistance, and inadequate physicochemical properties, which render them unsuitable for use in food packaging. Bionanocomposites, on the other hand, hold the potential to surmount these challenges and supplant the non-biodegradable, petroleum-based plastics that are currently utilized in food packaging. This review article emphasizes the mechanical and barrier properties of starch-based materials, as well as the processing methods that are pertinent to their application in food packaging. Moreover, it delves into the various forms of starches and nanofillers that have been studied for use in food packaging applications. The review concludes with suggestions for future research and a summary of the studies that are reviewed.