ABSTRACT
Packaging is important to the preservation and marketing of food products. The basic functions of packaging are to protect the food, provide easy handling and convenience for consumers, and display process information (see Table 9.1). In developing food packaging, many factors must be considered, including gas and water vapor permeability; mechanical properties; sealing capability; thermoforming properties; resistance to water, grease, acid, and ultraviolet light; transparency; antifogging capacity; printability; availability; and cost. For several decades, petroleum-based food packaging has been utilized-single or multicomponent laminates that satisfy the above requirements. Recently, however, a major drawback of synthetic packaging materials has been recognized-namely, the serious environmental consequences of their being nonbiodegradable. For this reason, efforts are being focused on developing biodegradable and edible lms from natural, renewable resources. The classes of compounds generally used for such lms include polysaccharides (e.g., starch, cellulose derivatives, pectin, alginate, carragenan, chitosan, pullulan), proteins (e.g., casein, whey protein, collagen, gelatin, sh myobrillar protein, soy protein, wheat gluten, corn zein), and lipids (e.g., neutral lids, fatty acids, wax). Table 9.2 lists advantages of these biopolymer-based packaging materials. Challenges in the development of these lms include optimization of required permeability and mechanical strength in order to obtain ideal storage life for the packaged food and to resist stress of handling and marketing.1,2 Table 9.3 summarizes the various techniques necessary to optimize edible packaging for optimal food quality. This chapter discusses the potential for marine polysaccharides to be used in the development of edible packaging, for active packaging, and for the encapsulation of nutrients, as well as the use of nanotechnology to improve their functionality. Following is a brief discussion on the advantages of polysaccharides as packaging materials and new developments in the eld.
