review · International Journal of Food Properties
Conventional petrochemical plastics generate persistent waste, making bio-based materials a suitable replacement for packaging food. Biopolymers derived from natural biomass, bio-monomers, and microorganisms, including polysaccharides, proteins, polyhydroxyalkanoates, polylactic acids, pullulan, and xanthan gums, offer strong physiochemical, thermal, and mechanical properties for fish packaging. These materials decompose easily into carbon dioxide, methane, water, and inorganic compounds. Integrating nanofillers and bioactive agents enhances the mechanical, gas barrier, antioxidant, and antimicrobial performance of bio-based films. Additionally, bioactive compounds such as anthocyanins, betalains, curcumin, and clove oil respond to pH, temperature, light, and time. Incorporating these sensitive compounds enables packaging to monitor fish freshness in real time throughout storage. Bio-based smart materials therefore present an environmentally benign alternative capable of protecting fish while actively tracking product quality.
Petrochemical packaging generates long-lasting environmental waste. Replacing synthetic plastics with biodegradable materials derived from natural sources protects ecosystems while preserving perishable seafood. Furthermore, incorporating functional additives allows packaging to actively combat spoilage and track real-time freshness during storage, helping ensure food quality and reduce waste without relying on persistent synthetic plastics.
This work highlights potential applications for seafood processors, packaging manufacturers, and cold-chain distributors seeking biodegradable alternatives to synthetic films. Incorporating indicators like anthocyanins or clove oil enables real-time freshness monitoring alongside antimicrobial preservation. Because this review synthesises existing material formulations and property data, the described technologies represent applied research that requires further pilot-scale development and standardisation before entering commercial supply chains.
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Conventional packaging offers protection, containment, communication, and convenience to packaged food. The most commonly used packaging materials are petrochemical-based plastics which generate massive wastes that persist for a long time in the environment after their use. Bio-based materials are the best option to replace this synthetic plastic. This review presents the importance of packaging fish products using polysaccharides, proteins, polyhydroxyalkanoates, polylactic acids, pullulan, and xanthan gums loaded with different nanofillers and bioactive molecules. Bio-based smart materials easily decompose into carbon dioxide, methane, water, and inorganic compounds. Biopolymers can be produced from natural biomass, bio-monomers, and microorganisms. These biopolymers demonstrate excellent physiochemical, thermal, and mechanical properties when mixed or alone as fish packaging materials. Integration of nanofillers and bioactive molecules improves mechanical, gas barrier, antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of bio-based materials. Bioactive molecules like anthocyanins, betalains, curcumin, and clove oil are sensitive to pH, temperature, light, and time. Bioactive molecules can be loaded into bio-based packaging materials to monitor the real-time freshness of fish products during storage. It is concluded that bio-based smart materials have the potential for fish packaging, do not harm the environment, and easily interact with nanofillers and bioactive molecules.
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DOI: 10.1080/10942912.2022.2066121
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