Biobased materials for food packaging

Consumers prefer foods that are healthier with high quality and safety. Food packaging are demanded to effectively extend the shelf-life, preserve the nutrients and decrease the microbial contamination during the transport and storage of food. With the increasing concern on the environmental impacts caused by food packaging wastes, sustainable and green packaging are highly demanded to minimize the harmful effects of food packaging waste on the environment. Bio-based materials are derived from sustainable and renewable biomass, instead of finite petrochemicals. The applications of bio-based materials for food packaging are highlighted in this review. The emphasis is placed on the categories of related biobased materials, their characteristics and advantages for food packaging, as well as the strategies used to improve their performances. Though a lot of trials have been done on biobased materials for food packaging, further attempts to improve their performances, understand the functioning mechanisms and develop greener methods for the production, processing and destiny of these bio-based materials are still highly needed for the future research.