Development of sustainable UV-screening food packaging materials: A review of recent advances

Oxidation of foods due to exposure to artificial light or sunlight is a major challenge in the food industry since it leads to quality deterioration, reduced shelf life, formation of potential toxic substances, and economic losses. Ultraviolet (UV)-shielding packaging materials can be used to overcome this problem. UV-shielding can be introduced into sustainable packaging materials by fabricating them from natural substances that absorb or scatter radiation in the UV region of the electromagnetic spectrum (100–400 nm). These substances include biopolymers (like cellulose, chitosan, lignin, starch, pectin, alginate, and gelatin), phytochemicals (like anthocyanins, quercetin, curcumin, and essential oils/extracts), organic nanoparticles (like nanocellulose, nanostarch, carbon/quantom dots, or graphene), and inorganic nanoparticles (like Titanium dioxide (TiO2), Zinc oxide (ZnO), Cerium oxide (CeO2), silicon dioxide (SiO2), Zirconium dioxide (ZrO2), Silver (Ag), and Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs)). Films and coatings that can screen UV light, and therefore inhibit undesirable photodegradation reactions in foods, can be constructed from a variety of film-forming food biopolymers. Edible organic or inorganic nanomaterials can be introduced into these coatings or films to increase UV screening due to their ability to scatter and absorb UV light. This article reviews the current status of the fabrication, properties, and applications of sustainable biopolymer-based films and coatings with UV screening properties.