ABSTRACT
Food packaging is an integral and essential part of modern food processing and it will play an increasingly significant role in food industry as the use of new and alternative food processing operations expands. It is estimated that 41% of all plastics are being employed for packaging applications, and moreover, almost half of these are used for food packaging. Today, more than 99% of plastics are petroleum-based because of their easy availability and cheaper cost. These conventional petrochemical plastics are recalcitrant to microbial degradation. However, increased use of synthetic packaging films has led to serious ecological problems due to their total non-biodegradability. Hence, recent research developments have demonstrated the feasibility, utilization, and commercial application of a variety of bio-based polymers or bio-polymers made from a variety of materials including renewable/sustainable agricultural commodities. The aim of this review is to offer a complete view on different biodegradable polymer packages for food application.
