Nanoparticles in food packaging: Biodegradability and potential migration to food—A review

Lately, the appliance of nanotechnology into the food industry has been focused in the development of packaging material. Nanoparticles (NPs) are used as reinforcements to improve barrier and mechanical properties of polymers, resulting in packages with less demand for raw materials (more sustainable) and when are applied into biopolymers makes its production and use feasible, contributing to reduce the dependence on petroleum based materials. However, being a novel technology, there are gaps on its knowledge that pose questions to the scientific community, especially regarding its toxicity and ecotoxicity. Theoretically, the NPs have potential to migrate to the foodstuff packaged, but migration assays and risk assessment are still not conclusive. This critical review shows an overview of the actual state of the art demonstrating the urgent demand for research on this field.

[1]  Q. Chaudhry,et al.  Applications and implications of nanotechnologies for the food sector , 2008, Food additives & contaminants. Part A, Chemistry, analysis, control, exposure & risk assessment.

[2]  Á. Jos,et al.  Cytotoxicity and mutagenicity assessment of organomodified clays potentially used in food packaging. , 2015, Toxicology in vitro : an international journal published in association with BIBRA.

[3]  S. Cimmino,et al.  Food packaging based on polymer nanomaterials , 2011 .

[4]  Xu Li,et al.  Safety assessment of nanocomposite for food packaging application , 2015 .

[5]  C. Santulli,et al.  Investigation of thermo-mechanical, chemical and degradative properties of PLA-limonene films reinforced with cellulose nanocrystals extracted from Phormium tenax leaves , 2014 .

[6]  R. Bayard,et al.  Aerobic and anaerobic biodegradability of polymer films and physico-chemical characterization , 2006 .

[7]  Janeck J Scott-Fordsmand,et al.  Effects of C60 fullerene nanoparticles on soil bacteria and protozoans , 2008, Environmental toxicology and chemistry.

[8]  Christian Belloy,et al.  Polymer biodegradation: mechanisms and estimation techniques. , 2008, Chemosphere.

[9]  G. Sumit.  Nanotechnology in food packaging a critical review , 2012 .

[10]  Albert A Koelmans,et al.  Analysis of engineered nanomaterials in complex matrices (environment and biota): General considerations and conceptual case studies , 2012, Environmental toxicology and chemistry.

[11]  M. Errico,et al.  Biodegradable starch/clay nanocomposite films for food packaging applications , 2005 .

[12]  P. M. Prasad,et al.  Active Packaging in Food Industry: A Review , 2014 .

[13]  C. Koch,et al.  Migration of nanosized layered double hydroxide platelets from polylactide nanocomposite films , 2011, Food additives & contaminants. Part A, Chemistry, analysis, control, exposure & risk assessment.

[14]  Andrew J. Whelton,et al.  Measurement Methods to Evaluate Engineered Nanomaterial Release from Food Contact Materials. , 2014, Comprehensive reviews in food science and food safety.

[15]  Joseph P. Kerry,et al.  Nanotechnologies in the food industry – Recent developments, risks and regulation , 2012 .

[16]  T. Knepper,et al.  Environmental biodegradation of synthetic polymers I. Test methodologies and procedures , 2009 .

[17]  Stephen J Klaine.  Considerations for research on the environmental fate and effects of nanoparticles. , 2009, Environmental toxicology and chemistry.

[18]  T. Knepper,et al.  Environmental biodegradation of synthetic polymers II. Biodegradation of different polymer groups , 2010 .

[19]  Rolf-Joachim Mueller,et al.  Biological degradation of synthetic polyesters—Enzymes as potential catalysts for polyester recycling , 2006 .

[20]  Roberto Pantani,et al.  Effect of PLA grades and morphologies on hydrolytic degradation at composting temperature: assessme , 2013 .

[21]  L. Mattoso,et al.  Nanocomposites in Food Packaging – A Review , 2011 .

[22]  P. Degée,et al.  Polylactide/montmorillonite nanocomposites: study of the hydrolytic degradation , 2005 .

[23]  Albert A Koelmans,et al.  Potential scenarios for nanomaterial release and subsequent alteration in the environment , 2012, Environmental toxicology and chemistry.

[24]  M. Rezaei,et al.  A novel active bionanocomposite film incorporating rosemary essential oil and nanoclay into chitosan , 2012 .

[25]  Anna Vatsanidou,et al.  Environmental aspects of fiber crops cultivation and use , 2015 .

[26]  M. Arena,et al.  Effect of sepiolite on the biodegradation of poly(lactic acid) and polycaprolactone , 2010 .

[27]  F. Hasan,et al.  Biological degradation of plastics: a comprehensive review. , 2008, Biotechnology advances.

[28]  Mansor B. Ahmad,et al.  Preparation and properties of poly(vinyl alcohol)/chitosan blend bionanocomposites reinforced with cellulose nanocrystals/ZnO-Ag multifunctional nanosized filler , 2014, International journal of nanomedicine.

[29]  P. Nielsen,et al.  Potential of biobased materials for food packaging , 1999 .

[30]  P. Supaphol,et al.  Fabrication, Structure, and Properties of Chitin Whisker-Reinforced Alginate Nanocomposite Fibers , 2008 .

[31]  Wei Han,et al.  Application and safety assessment for nano-composite materials in food packaging , 2011 .

[32]  V. Álvarez,et al.  Effect of the type of clay organo‐modifier on the morphology, thermal/mechanical/impact/barrier properties and biodegradation in soil of polycaprolactone/clay nanocomposites , 2013 .

[33]  Compostable Polymers and Nanocomposites — A Big Chance for Planet Earth , 2015 .

[34]  Á. Jos,et al.  Toxicity assessment of organomodified clays used in food contact materials on human target cell lines , 2014 .

[35]  M. Linder,et al.  Active Food Packaging Evolution: Transformation from Micro- to Nanotechnology , 2010, Critical reviews in food science and nutrition.

[36]  Craig A. Poland,et al.  Carbon nanotubes introduced into the abdominal cavity of mice show asbestos-like pathogenicity in a pilot study. , 2008, Nature nanotechnology.

[37]  T. V. Duncan,et al.  Applications of nanotechnology in food packaging and food safety: Barrier materials, antimicrobials and sensors , 2011, Journal of Colloid and Interface Science.

[38]  E. Fortunati,et al.  Influence of thymol and silver nanoparticles on the degradation of poly(lactic acid) based nanocomposites: Thermal and morphological properties , 2014 .

[39]  Véronique Bellon-Maurel,et al.  Standard Methods for Testing the Aerobic Biodegradation of Polymeric Materials. Review and Perspectives , 1998 .

[40]  Boreddy Reddy,et al.  Advances in Diverse Industrial Applications of Nanocomposites , 2011 .

[41]  Ashley N Parks,et al.  Bioaccumulation and toxicity of single‐walled carbon nanotubes to benthic organisms at the base of the marine food chain , 2013, Environmental toxicology and chemistry.

[42]  J. Kerry,et al.  Evaluation and simulation of silver and copper nanoparticle migration from polyethylene nanocomposites to food and an associated exposure assessment. , 2014, Journal of agricultural and food chemistry.

[43]  D. Briassoulis,et al.  Biodegradation of Agricultural Plastic Films: A Critical Review , 2007 .

[44]  S. Klaine,et al.  Paradigms to assess the environmental impact of manufactured nanomaterials , 2012, Environmental toxicology and chemistry.

[45]  M. Xenopoulos,et al.  Effects of silver nanoparticles on bacterial activity in natural waters , 2012, Environmental toxicology and chemistry.

[46]  Ad M J Ragas,et al.  Nanomaterials in the environment aquatic ecotoxicity tests of some nanomaterials , 2008, Environmental toxicology and chemistry.

[47]  A. Boxall,et al.  Detection and characterization of engineered nanoparticles in food and the environment , 2008, Food additives & contaminants. Part A, Chemistry, analysis, control, exposure & risk assessment.

[48]  C. Ha,et al.  Microstructure, tensile properties, and biodegradability of aliphatic polyester/clay nanocomposites , 2002 .

[49]  Maurizio Avella,et al.  European current standardization for plastic packaging recoverable through composting and biodegradation , 2001 .

[50]  Á. Jos,et al.  Toxicological evaluation of clay minerals and derived nanocomposites: a review. , 2015, Environmental research.

[51]  G. Camino,et al.  Effect of clay type and loading on thermal, mechanical properties and biodegradation of poly(lactic acid) nanocomposites , 2013 .

[52]  S. Cholette,et al.  Economic and environmental assessment of reusable plastic containers: A food catering supply chain case study , 2014 .

[53]  P. Maiti,et al.  Nanoparticle-induced controlled biodegradation and its mechanism in poly(epsilon-caprolactone). , 2010, ACS applied materials & interfaces.

[54]  A. Sorrentino,et al.  Influence of crystallinity on the biodegradation rate of injection-moulded poly(lactic acid) samples in controlled composting conditions , 2013 .

[55]  P. Espitia,et al.  Physical-mechanical and antimicrobial properties of nanocomposite films with pediocin and ZnO nanoparticles. , 2013, Carbohydrate polymers.

[56]  Stephen Lofts,et al.  Metal‐based nanoparticles in soil: Fate, behavior, and effects on soil invertebrates , 2012, Environmental toxicology and chemistry.

[57]  R. Franz,et al.  Migration of nanoparticles from plastic packaging materials containing carbon black into foodstuffs , 2014, Food additives & contaminants. Part A, Chemistry, analysis, control, exposure & risk assessment.

[58]  P. Kumar,et al.  Recent Advances in Biopolymers and Biopolymer-Based Nanocomposites for Food Packaging Materials , 2012, Critical reviews in food science and nutrition.

[59]  Babak Ghanbarzadeh,et al.  Nanostructured Materials Utilized in Biopolymer-based Plastics for Food Packaging Applications , 2015, Critical reviews in food science and nutrition.

[60]  J. Rhim,et al.  Bio-Nanocomposites for Food Packaging Applications , 2013, Encyclopedia of Renewable and Sustainable Materials.

[61]  S. Phattanarudee,et al.  Preparation of bio-based nanocomposite emulsions: Effect of clay type , 2012 .

[62]  Tsutomu Takeichi,et al.  Biodegradability and property characterizations of Methyl Cellulose : Effect of nanocompositing and chemical crosslinking , 2008 .