polymers
Review Recent Advances in Natural Fibre-Based Materials for Food Packaging Applications Harikrishnan Pulikkalparambil 1 , Sandhya Alice Varghese 1 , Vanee Chonhenchob 1,2 , Tarinee Nampitch 1 , Lerpong Jarupan 1,2 and Nathdanai Harnkarnsujarit 1,2, *
1 Department of Packaging and Materials Technology, Faculty of Agro-Industry, Kasetsart University, 50 Ngam Wong Wan Rd., Latyao, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand 2 Center for Advanced Studies for Agriculture and Food, Kasetsart University, 50 Ngam Wong Wan Rd., Latyao, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand * Correspondence: nathdanai.h@ku.ac.th; Tel.: +662-562-5045; Fax: +662-562-5046 Abstract: Packaging is one of the major domains in the food processing industry that reduces waste and enhances product shelf life. Recently, research and development have focused on bioplastics and bioresources to combat environmental issues caused by the alarming growth of single-use plastic waste food packaging. The demand for natural fibres has recently increased because of their low cost, biodegradability and eco-friendliness. This article reviewed recent developments in natural fibre-based food packaging materials. The first part discusses the introduction of natural fibres in food packaging, with a focus on fibre source, composition and selection parameters, while the second part investigates the physical and chemical ways to modify natural fibres. Several plant-derived fibre materials have been utilised in food packaging as reinforcements, fillers and packaging matrices. Recent investigations developed and modified natural fibre (physical and chemical treatments) into packaging using casting, melt mixing, hot pressing, compression moulding, injection moulding, etc. These techniques majorly improved the strength of bio-based packaging for commercialisation. This review also identified the main research bottlenecks and future study areas were suggested.
Keywords: natural fibres; food packaging; fibre modifications
Citation: Pulikkalparambil, H.; Varghese, S.A.; Chonhenchob, V.; Nampitch, T.; Jarupan, L.; Harnkarnsujarit, N. Recent Advances in Natural Fibre-Based Materials for Food Packaging Applications. Polymers 2023 , 15 , 1393. https:// doi.org/10.3390/polym15061393
1. Introduction Both small- and large-scale food industries are growing continuously, with food packaging being an integral aspect to reduce spoilage and extend product shelf life [1]. The global production of plastics is projected to reach 1100 million tonnes by 2050, with 36% of the output currently used in the packaging industry and 85% of this ends up in landfills. Figure 1 shows a graphical representation of plastic waste generation by several industrial sectors in 2015 [2]. This discarded waste pollutes the environment. Plastic packaging is now used to produce complex geometries with functional snap fits and decorations but single-use plastics cause extreme ecological issues. High production volumes, short usage time and dealing with the disposal of end-life plastics have become pressing issues. Rates of recycling for conventional single-use packaging such as glass, plastic, paper, aluminium, and other alloys are low, with paper and paper-based packaging materials recycled around 20% of the time, while others such as plastic are recycled at substantially lower rates [3].
Academic Editor: Swarup Roy
Received: 22 December 2022 Revised: 24 January 2023 Accepted: 23 February 2023 Published: 10 March 2023
Copyright: © 2023 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ 4.0/).
Polymers 2023 , 15 , 1393. https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15061393
https://www.mdpi.com/journal/polymers
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