Polysaccharide-based food packaging and intelligent packaging applications: A comprehensive review

Traditional food packaging is primarily designed to extend the shelf life of food and provide product information to consumers. In the last decade, intelligent packaging has emerged as an innovative food packaging system that integrates intelligent functionalities, making it a cutting-edge research area. Of the numerous approaches in this field, polysaccharides have appeared as highly promising materials for intelligent food packaging systems due to their advantageous properties, including biocompatibility, biodegradability, nontoxicity, and renewability. The aim of this study is to provide a comprehensive overview of the latest research results in the development and application of intelligent food packaging materials using natural polysaccharides. The film-forming mechanisms and influencing factors of polysaccharide-based films are emphasized, along with exploring natural polysaccharides extracted from different sources. Additionally, the challenges and future prospects of using polysaccharides in intelligent food packaging materials are discussed. The study summarizes intelligent packaging systems based on intelligent packaging and polysaccharide-based intelligent packaging, highlighting polysaccharides from various representative sources. Substances such as plasticizers, essential oils, and nanocomposites can be added to improve film properties and expand application range. Polysaccharide-based films demonstrate significant potential for use in intelligent packaging systems, including indicators, sensors, and data carriers. However, the lack of clinical validation regarding the toxicity of indicator pigments and the hydrophilic nature of polysaccharide-based films have hindered their commercial use in food packaging.