Potential of nanomaterials in food packaging

Packaging diachronically played a crucial role in assisting the preservation, transportation, and selling of food. Nowadays, food sector investigates and evaluates sophisticated packaging solutions to extend shelf life, optimize value for money and improve marketing. In this view, nanomaterials, which are currently a subject of vivid research in academia, are emerged as potential additives to improve functional properties of food packaging. According to their dimensionality, nanomaterials can be classified as zero- (0-D), 1- (1-D) and 2-dimensional (2-D). More specifically, 0-D nanomaterials relate to nanoparticles, 1-D nanomaterials relate mainly to nanotubes and nanofibers, while 2-D nanomaterials characterized by their platy structure in their elementary units. This chapter presents nanomaterials of different compositions and shape, which have been proposed for plastic packaging in order to enhance specific properties and to assist the food industry.