Metal Oxide Nanoparticles in Food Packaging and Their Influence on Human Health

Abstract

It is a matter of common knowledge in the literature that engineered metal oxide nanoparticles have properties that are efficient for the design of innovative food/beverage packages. Although nanopackages have many benefits, there are circumstances when these materials are able to release nanoparticles into the food/beverage matrix. Once dispersed into food, engineered metal oxide nanoparticles travel through the gastrointestinal tract and subsequently enter human cells, where they display various behaviors influencing human health or wellbeing. This review article provides an insight into the antimicrobial mechanisms of metal oxide nanoparticles as essential for their benefits in food/beverage packaging and provides a discussion on the oral route of these nanoparticles from nanopackages to the human body. This contribution also highlights the potential toxicity of metal oxide nanoparticles for human health. The fact that only a small number of studies address the issue of food packaging based on engineered metal oxide nanoparticles should be particularly noted.

Keywords: antimicrobials; food packaging; gastrointestinal tract; ingestion; metal oxide nanoparticles; migration; potential toxicity.

Figure 1

Transmission electron microscopy images of TiO₂-NPs [25].

Figure 2

EMo-NPs antibacterial effects: extracellular/intracellular ROS induction (through metal ion release) with subsequent damage of the cell wall, DNA, proteins, and mitochondria. Sources of the cell organelles: “https://knowgenetics.org/dna-mutations-2/, https://www.cleanpng.com/png-biochemistry-biology-protein-science-pathway-1197074/ (accessed on 15 March 2023)”, “https://www.shutterstock.com/ro/search/mitochondrial (accessed on 15 March 2023)”.

Figure 3

Possible interactions from a polymer-based bottle/drink/external environment. Migration: blue circles represent molecular-scale migrants (components from polymer matrix, such as monomers); colored hexagons represent EMo-NPs from polymer matrix. Scalping: pink circles represent constituents of drink matrix. Permeation: green circles represent gases (CO₂, O₂) from both drink matrix and external environment.

Figure 4

The oral route of EMo-NPS into the human GI tract. Source of the human digestive system: “https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Digestive_system_without_labels.svg. (accessed on 20 March 2023)”.

Figure 5

ROS induction inside the eukaryotic cell by EMo-NPs. EMo-NPs are much more toxic than metal ions, serving as Trojan horse-type carriers (green hexagons) which release metal ions inside the cell (gray circles). Source of the cell membrane: “https://smart.servier.com/smart_image/cell (accessed on 22 March 2023)”. Sources of the organelles: “https://www.pngwing.com/en/search?q=mitochondria (accessed on 22 March 2023)”, “https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:201601_Endoplasmic_reticulum.png, (accessed on 22 March 2023)”, “https://pixabay.com/ro/vectors/dna-biologie-pictogram%C4%83-rna-6177695/ (accessed on 22 March 2023)”.