Advantages of nanotechnology developments in active food packaging.

Active food packaging (AP) is an innovative technology, which provides a new system for food preservation in the food industry. The growing need towards consumer demands and market trends inspires researchers and food industries to employ AP. The advent of nanotechnology has had a significant impact on AP applications due to its distinctive physicochemical and biological properties. The incorporation of nano-sized materials into the polymer matrix has greatly improved the thermal, mechanical, gas barrier properties and compostability of biopolymers, thereby overcoming the shortcomings of bio-based film packaging. One of the great features of nano-sized materials is that they can act as release-controlling devices for active compounds in AP. The current review summarized the impact of nano-sized materials in the physical properties of the bio-based packaging films and their potential utilization and applications in AP. The safety concentrations of nano-sized materials and their possible migration from food packaging into food were also reviewed to gain a perspective view on their utilization in AP.