Hemicellulose, chitosan, and lignin-based biopolymer films for an improved and sustainable food packaging: A comprehensive review.

The contemporary food industry faces mounting challenges related to environmental sustainability, particularly due to the excessive use of non-biodegradable, petroleum-derived plastic packaging materials, which contribute significantly to ecological degradation and food waste. In response, there is growing interest in developing sustainable food packaging solutions that combine superior functional properties with reduced environmental impact. Biopolymers such as hemicellulose, chitosan, and lignin, derived from renewable plant and marine sources, hold significant promise in this regard. These innovative materials exhibit desirable properties, including biodegradability, biocompatibility, non-toxicity, and minimal carbon emissions, while offering the potential to preserve food quality by enhancing moisture and gas barriers, inhibiting microbial growth, and preventing lipid oxidation. This narrative review explores the structural and functional attributes of these biopolymers, their fabrication methodologies, and their applications within the food packaging industry. Additionally, strategies to overcome current technological challenges, such as limited gas and liquid resistance and complex manufacturing processes, are discussed, with emphasis on molecular modifications, blending techniques, and nanomaterial integration. By advancing hemicellulose-, chitosan-, and lignin-based films as sustainable alternatives, this review highlights the pivotal role of biopolymers in addressing the dual imperatives of ecological responsibility and food preservation, paving the way for innovative, scalable packaging technologies.