Nanotechnology can be used to extend shelf life of food. A nanocomposite coating process could improve food packaging by placing anti-microbial agents directly on the surface of the coated film.
Nanocomposites could increase or decrease gas permeability of different fillers as is needed for different products. They can also improve the mechanical and heat-resistance properties and lower the oxygen transmission rate.
Safety package
“Smart” safety packaging can be used to wrap food that can detect spoilage or harmful contaminants and release nano-anti-microbes to extend food shelf life. Products will be developed in future to enhance and adjust the food color, flavor, or nutrient content to accommodate each consumer’s taste or health needs. ‘Smart’ packaging could also release a dose of additional nutrients to those which it identifies as having special dietary needs, for example calcium molecules to people suffering from osteoporosis.
Nano wrapper
Nano wrapper has been developed to envelope foods, preventing gas and moisture exchange. Nanomaterials are used in packaging, like beer bottles, as a barrier, allowing for thinner material, with a subsequently lighter weight, and greater shelf-life. Nanoclays help to hold the pressure and carbonation inside the bottle, increasing shelf life. Nanoclays and nanocomposites can be used for a variety of uses, including flame retardants, barrier film (as in juice containers), and bottle barrier.
Nano clay barrier
Researchers from Texas A&M University have developed nano- barrier composed 70 percent out of clay and the rest made from various polymer materials. Existing packaging can be coated to keep food fresh and flavorable for longer. The film is less than 100 nanometers thick and 100 times more oxygen-impermeable than the silicon oxide coatings of existing food packaging.
The nano- barrier utilizes montmorillonite clay, an ingredient commonly used to make building bricks. When viewed under a microscope, the nano- barrier structure resembles bricks and mortar. It's this structure that makes the nano- barrier such a strong reinforcement to existing packaging and gives thousands of times more permeable than film having the most organized structure with oxygen-impermeable film.
Manufacturers currently use a variety of packaging materials to preserve food and beverages, but these materials often have drawbacks. Silicon oxide, though it provides a barrier to oxygen, still under-performs the nano- barrier when it comes to preserving food. Plastic packaging that uses a thin coating of metal, besides being un-microwaveable, can be unappealing to consumers who want to see their food purchase. The nano- barrier coating will give consumers tastier, longer-lasting foods and help boost the food packaging industry.