Recent advances in the application of nanotechnology to create antioxidant active food packaging materials

Abstract

Nanotechnology is being used to create innovative food packaging systems that can inhibit the oxidation of foods, thereby improving their quality, safety, and shelf life. These nano-enabled antioxidant packaging materials may therefore increase the healthiness and sustainability of the food supply chain. Recent progress in the application of nanotechnology to create antioxidant packaging materials is reviewed in this paper. The utilization of nanoparticles, nanofibers, nanocrystals, and nanoemulsions to incorporate antioxidants into these packaging materials is highlighted. The application of nano-enabled antioxidant packaging materials to preserve meat, seafood, fruit, vegetable, and other foods is then discussed. Finally, future directions and challenges in the development of this kind of active packaging material are highlighted to stimulate new areas of future research. Nanotechnology has already been used to create antioxidant packaging materials that inhibit oxidative deterioration reactions in foods, thereby prolonging their shelf life and reducing food waste. However, the safety, cost, efficacy, and scale-up of this technology still needs to be established before it will be commercially viable for many applications.

Graphical Abstract

Keywords:

• Antioxidants
• active packaging
• nanofibers
• nanoparticles
• nanotechnology

Conflicts of interest

No conflicts of interest are declared for any of the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 32101990), Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province - China (BK20200617), the Collaborative Innovation Center of Food Safety and Quality Control in Jiangsu Province, Jiangnan University (2022-1-1), the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (JUSRP12002), the National First- Class Discipline Program of Food Science and Technology - China (JUFSTR20180203) and the Key projects of the Logistics Support Department of CMC (BK117C007). Thanks to the medical staff who worked on the front line during the COVID-19 pandemic and the editors and reviewers who reviewed our work.