Antimicrobial Nanocomposite Food Packaging Films for Sustainable Applications

The chapter emphasizes the importance of antimicrobial nanocomposite food packaging films for sustainable applications. The depletion of raw materials and environmental contamination have led to stringent government regulations, compelling most industries to focus on green chemistry. The projection of the world&s;s population to about 9 billion by 2050 adds to the existing crisis regarding the increase in plastic manufacturing, leading to more plastic garbage. Thus, currently, focus has turned toward the application of using the thermoplastic starch for bioplastic synthesis. The antimicrobial qualities of film can actually be enhanced by adding the essential oils. The essential oil components derived from aromatic medicinal plants offer antimicrobial properties against pathogens and microorganisms. This could make them a chief potential ingredient for the production of food packaging materials. This application could definitely replace the usage of packaging materials that are petroleum based. This gives hope to eradicate or possibly reduce the usage of this non-biodegradable commodity and thus reduce the harmful effects on the environment. The last few decades have witnessed scenarios whereby there is a dwindling of petroleum resources. All these situations and even further more threatening conditions have resulted in the search for novel ideas focusing on sustainability. A case study dealing with the CNC-reinforced anchote starch-based antimicrobial food packaging film containing rosemary essential oil is discussed and presented in brief at the end of this chapter.