Scope of Cellulose Nanotechnology in Biodegradable Food Packaging

SINCE CNCS POSSESSES MODIFIABLE PROPERTIES DUE TO ABUNDANT HYDROXYL GROUPS PRESENCE WHICH RESULTED IN BETTER BIODEGRADABILITY AND BIOCOMPATIBILITY, THUS ENABLE TO PROTECT ENVIRONMENT FROM NON- CONVENTIONAL PLASTIC DAMAGE.

- N. Sai Prasanna*

In recent times, packaging sector is gaining much interest among scientists, food researchers and consumers as well. Food packaging plays a key role in addressing key challenges in sustainable food consumption for minimizing the environmental pollution. Packaging helps food industry in food quality preservation during storage by controlling gas and vapour exchanges with the external atmosphere, preventing food safety issues i.e., food-borne diseases and food chemical contamination and extending shelf-life of packed foods¹. Though modern packaging provides more safer, reliable, shelf-stable and clean food; but on the worst side, these packages are designed for single use, non-biodegradable and not recyclable. Thus food and food packaging materials make up almost half of all municipal solid waste disposal (as per US Environmental Protection Agency). Thereby, these food packages (especially petroleum-based plastics) are thrown away as solid waste in landfills and waterways, thus emerged as indomitable sources of environmental pollution causing severe threat to humanity and aquatic life including to our air and soil. Therefore, packaging industry is yet to resolve these challenges to replace plastic with biodegradable or green packaging technology for contributing to sustainability and environmental safety. In particular, there is also strong need for more research and development aiming at producing innovative and sustainable packaging materials with wider awareness, alternative products at economic prices. The research should also address the long-term crucial issues like persistent plastic waste accumulation, incremental usage of petroleum-based plastics in food packaging, non-biodegradability and environmental damage.