Prospects of Biopolymer as a Food Packaging Alternative

The synthetic polymers used for packaging of food originate from petroleum resources which have led to serious ecological problems due to their complete non - biodegradability. Around 9% to 10% of them are recycled globally and the rest persist in the environment for centuries or are burnt which further leads to CO2 emissions. This necessitates urgent research and development of alternatives for food packaging which would not only be biodegradable and assist in preserving the shelf life of the food but also display additional advantageous properties like reduced antimicrobial activities and water permeation. This review elaborates the advancements emerging in the sustainable food packaging research area by offering a complete overview of the two most promising substitutes in the field of biodegradable food packaging namely, biodegradable polymers and nanocellulose.