ABSTRACT
Food packaging and nanotechnology together is an emerging research area with great potential to overcome many barriers regarding food packaging. The growing interest in nanotechnology in food packaging is owed to its excellent barrier and mechanical properties required for a packaging material. The term “nanotechnology” is widely used in all science and technology branches. Nanomaterials, like nanotubes, nanoplates, nanoparticles and nanocomposites, are used to construct and improve the packing units. Traditional packaging lacks many important features, like the presence of detectors, etc. Nanoemulsions and nanoencapsulation are widely studied technologies in the food packaging industry in the past few years. The application of nanoemulsions has proven to be the next step in contributing to and improving food packaging devices that are sustainable. The success of nanoemulsions was achieved by introducing new compounds and functional ingredients to both conventional coatings and films. In this chapter, we will also discuss smart, or intelligent, packaging, which is helpful in better communicating various aspects of the packaging unit and food content. Nanomaterials play a significant role as food safeguards against various spoilage microorganisms. This further ensures overall food safety through packaging system.
