It's all about packaging

1. Nanotechnology development
in food packaging
Zaryab Rehman
Mphil Fs04

2. Out lines
 Food Packaging
 Nano Technology
 Shortcomings of existing packaging systems
 Nanocomposite developments
 Nano technology development- Active Packaging
 Nanotechnology developments in intelligent packaging
 Perspectives and concerns
 Conclusion

3. Food Packaging
 Packaging provides containment and protects food
products during distribution and storage from external
and internal unfavorable conditions.
 Packaging has become the third largest industry in the
world.
 Besides these functions, it provides essential product
information to consumer to facilitate the promotion and
advertisement of the product.

4. Active
packaging
 Packaging in which constituents are deliberately added
into the packaging system to enhance the performance
of packaging material.
 It is the type of packaging material that can monitor the
internal and external conditions of packaging material.
Intelligent
packaging

6. Nano
Technology
 Nanotechnology involves the exploitation of materials with one or
more dimensions that are less than 100 nm.
 The nanomaterials can dramatically enhance the material
properties of the resulting nanocomposites such as improved
mechanical strength, enhanced thermal stability, increased
electrical conductivity, and so on.

7. Shortcomings of
existing
packaging
systems
 Non-sustainable production, lack of recyclability,
insufficient mechanical and barrier properties are some
of the ongoing challenges faced by the food and
packaging industries.
 Food producers want to achieve an adequate shelf-life
for their products while maintaining the optimal quality
and safety of the products.
 Research and development activities in the academia
and industry have been focused on exploiting
nanotechnology to solve the challenges
Opportunities for
nanotechnology

8. Nanocomposite
developments
 Nanocomposite technology has been shown to be useful
for enhancing material properties of biopolymer.
 Nanocomposites comprised of a single or a mixture of
polymers with at least one organic or inorganic filler that
has a dimension lower than 100 nm.
 Incorporation of nanoparticles such as SiO2, clay,
KMnO4 , nanocellulose, nano fibrillated cellulose,
carbon nanotubes and so on into biopolymers and
synthetic polymers can enhance their mechanical and
barrier properties.
Enhanced mechanical and
barrier properties of food
packaging

10. Nano
technology
development
 In active packaging systems, the protection function of a package
is enhanced by incorporating into it active compounds such as
antimicrobial compounds, preservatives, oxygen absorbers, water
vapor absorbers, ethylene removers, and so on.
Active packaging

12.  The active components are assembled using
nanotechnology to produce an active component carrier
that can be integrated into a food package.
 The carrier can interact with internal and/or external
factors (blue arrows), thereby activating an intended
action (red arrow) that enhances the shelf-life, food
quality, and/or safety of the product.

13. Nanotechnology
developments in
intelligent
packaging
 The hallmark of intelligent packaging systems is to
enhance the communication aspect of a package, such as
to dynamically reflect the actual quality of the food in
real time.
 This type of advanced packaging is useful to increase
the efficacy of information transfer during product
distribution chain via innovative communication
methods such as intelligent tags (e.g., radiofrequency
identity tags, time-temperature indicators, oxygen and
carbon dioxide sensors, freshness indicators.

15. Perspectives
and concerns
 Nanotechnology will play a major role in filling the gaps
of packaging material developments in active and
intelligent packaging areas.
 The main risk associated with nano-sized components is
their migration into to the food.
 Some nanoparticles can induce intracellular damages,
pulmonary inflammation and vascular disease.
 The other is cost effectiveness and consumer acceptance.

16. Conclusion
 In conclusion, nanotechnology will serve as an
important tool to overcome existing challenges that are
associated with packaging materials.
 This advancement will positively affect the shelf-life,
quality, safety, and security of foods, which will
ultimately benefit both the producers and consumer.