Multifunctional and Nanoreinforced Polymers for Food Packaging covers novel polymers and polymer nanocomposites for use in food packaging.

Features:

• provides a comprehensive review of novel polymers and polymer nanocomposites for use in food packaging
• discusses nanofillers for plastics in food packaging including the use of passive and active nanoclays and hidrotalcites and electrospun nanofibers
• investigates high barrier plastics for food packaging assessing recent advances in various plastic packaging technologies such as modified atmosphere packaging (MAP)
• reviews active, bioactive and intelligent plastics in food packaging investigating silver-based antimicrobial polymers and the usee of antimicrobial/antioxidant natural extracts

Part 1 discusses nanofillers for plastics in food packaging. It explores the use of passive and active nanoclays and hidrotalcites, cellulose nanofillers and electrospun nanofibers and nanocapsules.

Part 2 investigates high barrier plastics for food packaging, assessing the transport and high barrier properties of food packaging polymers such as ethylene-norbornene copolymers and advanced single-site polyolefins, nylon-MXD6 resins and ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymers before going on to explore recent advances in various plastic packaging technologies such as modified atmosphere packaging (MAP), nanoscale inorganic coatings and functional barriers against migration.

Part 3 reviews active, bioactive and intelligent plastics in food packaging, and investigates silver-based antimicrobial polymers, the incorporation of antimicrobial/antioxidant natural extracts into polymeric films, and biaoctive food packaging strategies.

Part 4 examines nanotechnology in sustainable plastics and examines the food packaging applications of polylactic acid (PLA) nanocomposites, polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), starch-based polymers, chitosan and carragenan polysaccharides and protein-based resins for packaging gluten (WG)-based materials.

Part 5 presents the safety and regulatory aspects of plastics as food packaging materials.

Contents

Multifunctional and nanoreinforced polymers for food packaging

• Structural factors governing barrier properties
• Novel polymers and blends
• Nanocomposites

Part 1: Nanofillers for Plastics in Food Packaging

Multifunctional nanoclays for food contact applications

• Antimicrobial nanoclays
• Oxygen-scavenging nanoclays

Hydrotalcites in nanobiocomposites

• Hydrotalcite-like compounds: basic chemistry (HTlc)
• Organically modified biocompatible (HTlc)
• Nanocomposites of biodegradable polymeric matrices and modified hydrotalcites

Cellulose nanofillers for food packaging

• Morphological and structural characteristics of cellulose nanofillers
• Extraction and refining of cellulose nanofillers
• Mechanical properties of cellulose nanofillers
• Surface modification of cellulose nanofillers
• Preparation of cellulose reinforced nanocomposites
• Future trends and applications of cellulose nanofillers

Electrospun nanofibers for food packaging applications

• Electrospinning
• Functional nanofibers
• Nanoencapsulation
• Electrospinning in packaging applications

Part 2: High Barrier Plastics for Food Packaging

Mass transport and high barrier properties of food packaging polymers

• Diffusivity
• Solubility
• What makes a barrier a barrier?
• Characterisation technique

Ethylene-norbornene copolymers and advanced single-site polyolefins

• Synthesis and molecular structure: advanced single-site polyolefins
• Macromolecular structure: advanced single-site polyolefins
• Macromolecular structure: ethylene-norbornene copolymers
• Nanocomposite preparation: advanced single-site polyolefins

Advances in polymeric materials for modified atmosphere packaging (MAP)

• Modified atmosphere packaging (MAP)
• Physiological factors affecting shelf life of fresh produce
• Postharvest pathology of fruit and vegetables
• Response of fresh produce to modified atmosphere packaging
• Polymeric film in application for (MAP)
• Cellulose-based plastics
• Biodegradable polymers
• Multilayer plastic films
• Gas permeation or gas transmission
• Water vapor permeability
• Packaging system in MAP
• Advanced technology for efficient MAP packaging
• Package management
• Design of modified atmosphere packaging
• Mathematical modeling of gaseous exchange in MAP system
• Current application of polymeric films for MAP of fruits and vegetables

Nylon-MXD6 resins for food packaging

• Structure and general overview
• Processing
• Gas barrier properties
• Other properties
• Applications
• Nylon-MXD6 nanocomposites

Ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymers

• Structure and general properties of ethylene vinyl alcohol (EVOH) copolymers
• Ethylene vinyl alcohol (EVOH) versus. Aliphatic polyketones
• Processing in packaging
• Improving retorting of ethylene vinyl alcohol (EVOH)
• Nanocomposites of ethylene vinyl alcohol (EVOH) and poly(vinyl) alcohol (PVOH)

High barrier plastics using nanoscale inorganic films

• Nanotechnologies thin films for advanced food packaging
• Thin films technologies for polymer coating using vacuum processes
• Physical vapour deposition (PVD) processes
• Inorganic thin film systems
• Functional properties of diffusion barrier coated polymers

Functional barriers against migration for food packagin

• Food safety issues related to migration
• Functional barriers
• Nanostrategies for functional barriers

Part 3: Active, Bioactive and Intelligent Plastics

Silver-based antimicrobial polymers for food packagin

• Incorporation of silver into coatings and polymer matrices
• Antimicrobial silver in food packaging

Incorporation of chemical antimicrobial agents into polymeric films for food packaging

• Antimicrobial agents
• Chemical antimicrobial
• Natural antimicrobial agents
• Polymers (synthetic or natural)
• Nano antimicrobial agents
• Antimicrobial films and coatings
• Antimicrobial activity

Natural extracts in plastic food packaging

• Natural plant extracts as antimicrobials and antioxidants
• Designing active plastic packaging systems from natural plant extracts
• Packaging films based on natural extracts
• Factors to consider in designing active systems

Biaoctive food packaging strategies

• Definition and technologies
• Nanotechnologies
• Control release of bioactives

Part 4: Nanotechnology in Sustainable Plastics for Food Packaging

Polylactic acid (PLA) nanocomposites for food packaging applications

• Introduction and properties of polyactic acid (PLA)
• Nanocomposites of polyactic acid (PLA) for monolayer packaging

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) for food packaging

• Commercial developments
• Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) and polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) nanocomposite films
• Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) foams and paper coatings

Starch based polymers for food packaging

• Market of starch-based materials and potential applications
• Structure and properties of native and plasticized starch
• Processing in packaging
• Mechanical and barrier performance of starch-based systems
• Nanocomposites

Chitosan polysaccharide in food packaging applications

• Structure and properties
• Processing in packaging
• Antimicrobial chitosan
• Barrier performance
• Nanocomposites

Carragenan polysaccharides for food packaging

• Structure and properties of carrageenan
• Processing in packaging
• Barrier performance
• Nanocomposites

Protein-based resins for packaging

• Materials (sources, extractin, structure and properties)
• Structure and properties
• Materials processing
• Packaging materials characterization (barrier performance, mechanical properties)
• Applications

Wheat gluten (WG)-based materials for food packaging

• Preparation of wheat gluten-based materials
• Mechanical and barrier properties of wheat gluten based materials
• Wheat gluten-based nanocomposites
• Example of integrated approach for the packaging of fresh fruits and vegetables

Part 5: Safety and Regulatory aspects of plastics as food packaging materials

Safety and regulatory aspects of plastics as food packaging materials

• Indirect food additives
• Nanotechnology in food contact materials
• Migration of additives
• Indian standards for overall migration (IS: 9845-1998)
• US-food and drug administration (USFDA), code of federal regulations (CFR)
• European commission directives on plastic containers for foods
• Specific migration of toxic additives
• Recent problems in specific migration

Index

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