ABSTRACT
The materials generally derived from sustainable or renewable biomass are known as bio-based materials. Environmental factors, such as microbial contamination, moisture, and oxidation, are mainly responsible for food waste/spoilage. The packaging provides protection of food from such damage and enhances food quality and stability. The conventional polymers used in packaging have several drawbacks, which need to be replaced with bio-based packaging alternatives. Using bio-based packaging materials and coatings to protect the food through packaging could provide a sustainable solution, which also caters to the need of consumer demand for fresh food and concern about food safety. Therefore, the chapter aims to offer the current status of bio-based packaging, which provides sustainable trends for the future bioplastic-based packaging industry. The chapter discusses the potential of different natural and synthetic polymers for packaging and their properties to suit various packaging conditions.
