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Review
. 2023 Mar;22(2):1148-1183.
doi: 10.1111/1541-4337.13107. Epub 2023 Jan 29.

Biopolymers as green-based food packaging materials: A focus on modified and unmodified starch-based films

Julia Rabelo Vaz Matheus  1 , Raul Remor Dalsasso  2 , Evertan Antonio Rebelatto  2 , Kátia Suzana Andrade  2 , Lidiane Maria de Andrade  3 , Cristiano José de Andrade  2 , Alcilene Rodrigues Monteiro  2 , Ana Elizabeth Cavalcante Fai  1   4
Affiliations
Review

Biopolymers as green-based food packaging materials: A focus on modified and unmodified starch-based films

Julia Rabelo Vaz Matheus et al. Compr Rev Food Sci Food Saf. 2023 Mar.

Abstract

The ideal food packaging materials are recyclable, biodegradable, and compostable. Starch from plant sources, such as tubers, legumes, cereals, and agro-industrial plant residues, is considered one of the most suitable biopolymers for producing biodegradable films due to its natural abundance and low cost. The chemical modification of starch makes it possible to produce films with better technological properties by changing the functional groups into starch. Using biopolymers extracted from agro-industrial waste can add value to a raw material that would otherwise be discarded. The recent COVID-19 pandemic has driven a rise in demand for single-use plastics, intensifying pressure on this already out-of-control issue. This review provides an overview of biopolymers, with a particular focus on starch, to develop sustainable materials for food packaging. This study summarizes the methods and provides a potential approach to starch modification for improving the mechanical and barrier properties of starch-based films. This review also updates some trends pointed out by the food packaging sector in the last years, considering the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Perspectives to achieve more sustainable food packaging toward a more circular economy are drawn.

Keywords: SARS-Cov2 pandemic; agro-industrial waste; biodegradable films; long-term impacts; starch-based films; sustainable development goals.

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References

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