Functional Coatings for Food Packaging Applications

• Other Authors: Farris, Stefano (Editor), Vartiainen, Jari (Editor)
• Format: Electronic Book Chapter
• Language: English
• Published: Basel, Switzerland MDPI - Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute 2020
• Subjects: Research & information: general; active food packaging; antimicrobial; antioxidant; biocatalytic; surface modification; pectin; edible films; biopolymer coatings; fruits; vegetables; agricultural wastes; revalorisation; fresh-cut; conditioning liquid; coatings; spoiling microorganisms; probiotics; Citrus spp.; postharvest; disease control; fruit quality; fungicide alternatives; edible coatings; chitosan; antifungal ingredients; gas barrier; coating; thin film; PET bottle; DLC; SiOx; SiOC; isotactic polypropylene; zinc oxide; properties; active packaging; composites; carvacrol; coextrusion; lysozyme; lactoferrin; salmon; n/a; food coatings; food preservation; biopolymers; antioxidant and antimicrobial agents; burrata cheese; shelf life; antimicrobial coating; packaging design; bilayer films; strawberry; packaging; chitosan hydrochloride; edible film; food safety; antimicrobial properties; Botrytis cinerea; Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. carotovorum; rotting; cellulose nanocrystals (CNC); starch nanoparticles (SNP); barrier films; nanomaterials; nanocomposites; bio-coatings; oxygen barrier; water vapor barrier; paper; surface; Raman; microscopy; mapping; barrier coating; paper-based food packaging material; alginate; water vapor transmission rate; MOSH/MOAH migration; permeation; grease barrier; water absorptiveness; HPLC-GC coupled with a flame ionization detector (FID); structural changes; egg preservation; Carica papaya L.; starch; image analysis; porphyrin; chlorophyllin; active coating; photoactivation; self-sanitizing; bologna; electrospinning; electrospraying; superhydrophobicity; polyethylene terephthalate (PET); polylactide (PLA); active films; thermogravimetric analysis; UV protection; X-ray diffraction; PET; lamination; nanoindentation; interface; edible coating; hairy fig fruits; navel oranges; physicochemical responses
• Online Access: DOAB: download the publication; DOAB: description of the publication

The food packaging industry is experiencing one of the most relevant revolutions associated with the transition from fossil-based polymers to new materials of renewable origin. However, high production costs, low performance, and ethical issues still hinder the market penetration of bioplastics. Recently, coating technology was proposed as an additional strategy for achieving a more rational use of the materials used within the food packaging sector. According to the packaging optimization concept, the use of multifunctional thin layers would enable the replacement of multi-layer and heavy structures, thus reducing the upstream amount of packaging materials while maintaining (or even improving) the functional properties of the final package to pursue the goal of overall shelf life extension. Concurrently, the increasing requirements among consumers for convenience, smaller package sizes, and for minimally processed, fresh, and healthy foods have necessitated the design of highly sophisticated and engineered coatings. To this end, new chemical pathways, new raw materials (e.g., biopolymers), and non-conventional deposition technologies have been used. Nanotechnology, in particular, paved the way for the development of new architectures and never-before-seen patterns that eventually yielded nanostructured and nanocomposite coatings with outstanding performance. This book covers the most recent advances in the coating technology applied to the food packaging sector, with special emphasis on active coatings and barrier coatings intended for the shelf life extension of perishable foods.