Biopolymer hybrid materials: development, characterization, and food packaging applications

Current trends in food packaging systems are oriented to biodegradable materials, especially with enhanced features. The latter are often provided by the combination of natural biopolymers, clays and bioactive molecules. This review summarises recent developments in the production of biopolymers-clay hybrid materials for food packaging. The main production methods of bio-composites and the improvement of their physicochemical properties due to the clay addition are discussed. The improvement of the film properties is explained with a focus on the molecular interactions between biopolymer matrix, clay, and bioactive compounds. Recent researches on their food application as active and intelligent packaging are summerized. This review shows that the application of biodegradable bio-composites as packaging material is a promising green option to ensure food quality and safety. The research on the chemical properties of tailored and tunable biopolymers could lead to new functional films, suitable for the industrial scale-up.