Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 7
Nano-developments for Food Packaging
and Labeling Applications
Yolanda Echegoyen
Abstract Nanotechnology is defined as the study and use of structures between
1 and 100 nm in length (at least in one dimension). Due to the different properties of
nanosized materials compared to the bulk material, research in nanotechnology
has increased exponentially in recent years. The food sector is no exception, and
nanotechnology is present in different stages of the food chain, from agriculture to
food processing, supplements, or food packaging. Among them, the most active
area of food nanoscience research and development is food packaging.
Nanomaterials are used in packaging to improve the packaging barrier proper-
ties, to create active or intelligent packaging materials, or to enhance the properties
of edible and biodegradable packaging materials. In addition to the packages itself,
nanotechnology can also be used in labeling applications, like a nano-barcode. In
the present chapter, all these applications and the commercialized products already
in the market will be discussed.
The current legislation related to nano-developments in food packaging is at
different stages in different countries, and there are concerns about the safety of the
use of such nanosized materials for food packaging applications. The different
studies concerning the possible migration of the nanomaterials used in the packag-
ing to the food will be reviewed.
7.1
Introduction
Nanotechnology refers to the characterization, fabrication, and manipulation of
structures, materials, and devices that have at least one dimension (or contains
components with at least one dimension) in the nano-range, below 100 nm in
length. Below this threshold, a particle presents chemical and physical properties
very different from those of the bulk counterpart. For this reason, research in the
Search WWH ::




Custom Search