Natural polymers in bio-degradable/edible film: A review on environmental concerns, cold plasma technology and nanotechnology application on food packaging- A recent trends

Global food waste is the biggest issue owing to food spoilage. According to the world food program, approx. 35 million people worldwide suffer from acute malnutrition. Despite this, modern civilization has a significant problem with pollution spurred by synthetic plastics (SPs). So, natural polymers are essential in reducing food spoilage and pollution from this planet. Therefore, biodegradable/edible films and coatings have drawn much attention. This review paper primarily emphasizes and addresses a historical perspective, various types of natural polymers (NPs) and their application in food packaging industries, environmental concerns, and application of cold plasma technology and nanotechnology prospects of biodegradable polymers employed in the production of biodegradable and edible packaging. In this study, polysaccharides and proteins are natural polymers that have been considered. Currently, biodegradable/edible food packaging materials are gaining popularity these days because of the pollutants produced by improper disposal of plastic packaging, and their usage has increased. However, natural polymers have advantageous properties for the development of food packaging because they are biodegradable, biocompatible, and have minimal toxicity properties. However, various modern technology such as cold plasma technology and nanotechnology application has been induced in packaging technology to modify film properties such as mechanical, physical, chemical, and barrier. Consequently, polysaccharides and proteins may be combined to produce a wide range of composite films with excellent mechanical and biological properties, making them suitable for food packaging.