Recent progress on UV-light barrier food packaging films – a systematic review

Packaging is an integral part of the protection of food from unwanted changes during storage, processing and transportation. There are several reasons for the spoilage of food, such as oxidation, microbial attack, UV light, etc. UV rays can cause serious photochemical damage and physical, chemical, and biological changes in food. Therefore, UV-ray protection is obligatory to restrict food oxidation in the presence of sun or artificial light. The UV-light protection of the food packaging can be achieved by adding a filler/additive into the packaging materials having strong UV-light absorption capacity in the wavelength range of 200-400 nm. The UV light barrier material absorbs, reflects, or scatters the incident UV light, thus reducing the transmittance of UV radiation via packaging film. Several types of UV-barrier materials have been introduced into the packaging system recently. This systematic review discussed the recent advancement in the UV-barrier packaging material used in the food packaging sector. The systematic approach involved scanning 1723 articles from several sources, including 82 from PubMed, 108 from Scopus, and 97 from Web of Science. After the screening process, 54 articles meeting the eligibility criteria were included in this study. The evaluation involved a bias assessment using a modified MASTARI protocol, revealing a majority of studies with "low" or "moderate" risk. We discussed the various types of UV-barrier materials used and then briefly debated the fabrication of packaging materials. The up-to-date application of various types of UV-barrier packaging materials in the food regime is also covered. Finally, the challenges, safety aspects, and environmental impact of the packaging material are debated, which could be suitable in developing a UV-light protective packaging material to improve the life span of packed food.