A critical review on biodegradable food packaging for meat: Materials, sustainability, regulations, and perspectives in the EU.

The development of biodegradable packaging is a challenge, as conventional plastics have many advantages in terms of high flexibility, transparency, low cost, strong mechanical characteristics, and high resistance to heat compared with most biodegradable plastics. The quality of biodegradable materials and the research needed for their improvement for meat packaging were critically evaluated in this study. In terms of sustainability, biodegradable packagings are more sustainable than conventional plastics; however, most of them contain unsustainable chemical additives. Cellulose showed a high potential for meat preservation due to high moisture control. Polyhydroxyalkanoates and polylactic acid (PLA) are renewable materials that have been recently introduced to the market, but their application in meat products is still limited. To be classified as an edible film, the mechanical properties and acceptable control over gas and moisture exchange need to be improved. PLA and cellulose-based films possess the advantage of protection against oxygen and water permeation; however, the addition of functional substances plays an important role in their effects on the foods. Furthermore, the use of packaging materials is increasing due to consumer demand for natural high-quality food packaging that serves functions such as extended shelf-life and contamination protection. To support the importance moving toward biodegradable packaging for meat, this review presented novel perspectives regarding ecological impacts, commercial status, and consumer perspectives. Those aspects are then evaluated with the specific consideration of regulations and perspective in the European Union (EU) for employing renewable and ecological meat packaging materials. This review also helps to highlight the situation regarding biodegradable food packaging for meat in the EU specifically.

Recent advances in reinforced bioplastics for food packaging - A critical review.

Recently, diversifying the material, method, and application in food packaging has been massively developed to find more environment-friendly materials. However, the mechanical and barrier properties of the bioplastics are major hurdles to expansion in commercial realization. The compositional variation with the inclusion of different fillers could resolve the lacking performance of the bioplastic. This review summarizes the various reinforcement fillers and their effect on bioplastic development. In this review, we first discussed the status of bioplastics and their definition, advantages, and limitations regarding their performance in the food packaging application. Further, the overview of different fillers and development methods has been discussed thoroughly. The application of reinforced bioplastic for food packaging and its effect on food quality and shelf life are highlighted. The environmental issues, health concerns, and future perspectives of the reinforced bioplastic are also discussed at the end of the manuscript. Adding different fillers into the bioplastic improves physical, mechanical, barrier, and active properties, which render the required protective functions to replace conventional plastic for food packaging applications. Various fillers, such as natural and chemically synthesized, could be incorporated into the bioplastic, and their overall properties improve significantly for the food packaging application.

Polystyrene microplastic particles in the food chain: Characteristics and toxicity - A review.

Polystyrene (PS) is a crucial material for modern plastic manufacturers, but its widespread use and direct discard in the environment severely affect the food chain. This review provides a detailed study on the impact of PS microplastics (PS-MPs) on the food chain and the environment, including information on their mechanism, degradation process, and toxicity. The accumulation of PS-MPs in organisms' different organs leads to various adverse reactions, such as reduced body weight, premature deaths, pulmonary diseases, neurotoxicity, transgenerational issues, oxidative stress, metabolic alterations, ecotoxicity, immunotoxicity, and other dysfunctions. These consequences affect diverse elements in the food chain, spanning from aquatic species to mammals and humans. The review also addresses the need for sustainable plastic waste management policies and technological developments to prevent the adverse impacts of PS-MPs on the food chain. Additionally, it emphasizes the importance of developing a precise, flexible, and effective methodology for extracting and quantifying PS-MPs in food, considering their characteristics like particle size, polymer types, and forms. While several studies have focused on the toxicity of polystyrene microplastics (PS-MPs) in aquatic species, further investigation is required to understand the mechanisms by which they are transferred across multiple trophic levels. Therefore, this article serves as the first comprehensive review, examining the mechanism, degradation process, and toxicity of PS-MPs. It presents an analysis of the current research landscape of PS-MPs in the global food chain, providing insights for future researchers and governing organizations to adopt better approaches to managing PS-MPs and preventing their adverse impacts on the food chain. As far as we know this is the first article on this specific and impactant topic.

Migration of microplastics from plastic packaging into foods and its potential threats on human health.

Microplastics from food packaging material have risen in number and dispersion in the aquatic system, the terrestrial environment, and the atmosphere in recent decades. Microplastics are of particular concern due to their long-term durability in the environment, their great potential for releasing plastic monomers and additives/chemicals, and their vector-capacity for adsorbing or collecting other pollutants. Consumption of foods containing migrating monomers can lead to accumulation in the body and the build-up of monomers in the body can trigger cancer. The book chapter focuses the commercial plastic food packaging materials and describes their release mechanisms of microplastics from packaging into foods. To prevent the potential risk of microplastics migrated into food products, the factors influencing microplastic to the food products, e.g., high temperatures, ultraviolet and bacteria, have been discussed. Additionally, as many evidences shows that the microplastic components are toxic and carcinogenic, the potential threats and negative effects on human health have also been highlighted. Moreover, future trends is summarized to reduce the microplastic migration by enhancing public awareness as well as improving waste management.