Comprehensive review of natural based hydrogels as an upcoming trend for food packing

The overwhelming use of plastic related to food packing is a major concern for governmental institutions around the world that are developing new policies aimed at reducing it and developing innovative and biodegradable food packaging materials. Hydrogels are composed of three-dimensionally cross-linked polymer chains capable of interacting and holding large amounts of water with high malleability and biocompatibility with foodstuff, prompting their application in the food industry as they can control moisture loss, transpiration produced by the food and can even reduce antimicrobial growth. However, under the significance of hydrogels, fresh research horizons are being unfolded as food packaging. The current status of the use of natural hydrogels based on proteins, polysaccharides, lipids and other biodegradable polymers as sustainable materials for food packaging has been reviewed. Moreover, special interest has been paid on their functionalization with bioactive compounds such as phenolic compounds. Their incorporations into hydrogel's formulation seem to improve the mechanical, antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of the films obtained, as well as extent the shelf-life of foodstuff. Finally, the recent applications of natural-based hydrogels in foodstuff have been compiled in this review. Although current research is still in its infancy, the outcomes obtained so far are promising and represent an interesting, innovative, and sustainable alternative to plastic materials in order to extend shelf-life of food products.