Active and intelligent biodegradable packaging films using food and food waste-derived bioactive compounds: A review

Background
The growing environmental concern of plastic packaging disposal has led to the innovation of biodegradable biopolymers. Consumer demand and health concern further necessitate the emergence of active and intelligent packaging system to monitor the quality of packed food. Whereas, the use of chemical dyes as an indicator in smart packaging is not suitable for food packaging because of their high toxicity and harmful effects on human health and the environment. Hence, the researchers are focused on natural pigments derived from plants and food waste as indicating substance in biodegradable packaging and also for the valorization of food waste.

Scope and approach
This paper summarizes the research on the utilization of naturally derived food- and food waste-based pigments (anthocyanins, curcumin, betalains, carotenoids, chlorophyll, brazilin, quercetin, etc.) with biopolymeric matrices (starch, cellulose, chitin, gums, agar, etc.) to fabricate “smart biodegradable films”, for effective monitoring of spoilage and quality of meat products, seafood, milk, and others.

Key Findings and Conclusions
The results show that the smart packaging material developed by the biopolymers with plant-based pigment has the potential to replace the traditional plastic packaging materials. The extracted from food and food waste act as an indicator in smart packaging and promotes the valorization of food waste. The biodegradable packaging is economical, safe, non-toxic, sensitive, and natural pigments act as a quality indicator in packaging systems. Further, these packaging films can be optimized and commercialized and to be employed as active and intelligent packaging for visual quality evaluation of fresh food products.