This presentation deals with the usage of Nanocomposites in food packaging and different types of Nanocomposites used for coating to manufacturing of films.

1. Nanocomposites in
Food Packaging
BY
VINAYAK POOJARI 114A4011
ANURAG GANAPATHI 116A4002
ABDUL BASIT SAYYED 116A4018
VISHAL MANIKANDAN 116A4026

2. What is Nanocomposites?
A nanocomposite is a multiphase material derived from the combination of two or more
components, including a matrix (continuous phase) and a discontinuous nano-dimensional
phase with at least one nano-sized dimension (i. e., with less than 100 nm). The nano
dimensional phase can be divided into three categories according to the number of
nanosized dimensions:-
Nanospheres or nanoparticles have the three dimensions in the nanoscale.
Nanowhiskers (nanorods) and nanotubes have two nanometric dimensions, with the
difference that nanotubes are hollow, while nanowhiskers are solid. Finally, nanosheets or
nanoplatelets have only one nano-sized dimension.

3. Why Nanocomposite is to be used in
food packaging
Nano composite
Provides barrier properties against Oxygen, Light, Moisture, UV rays
Provides excellent mechanical properties like
-Strength
- Elasticity
- Durability
Thermal stability
Flammability reduction
Biodegradable properties
Inexpensive

4. Derivation of Nanocomposites

5. Derivation of Nanocomposites
There are three main polymer-clay morphologies,
•Tactoid
In the tactoid structure, which usually occurs in micro composites, the polymer chains
and the clay gallery are immiscible because they have poor affinity for each other.
Nanocomposite structures do not display this morphology.
•Intercalated
The clay shows a moderate affinity for the polymer.
•Exfoliated
Exfoliated structures in which polymer chains penetrate into the interlayer space of the
clay, making single sheets. In ideal polymer-clay nanocomposites, high affinity would
exist between the polymer and clay.

6. Nanocomposites as degradable
improved packaging
As Biodegradable packages has low shelf life and minimum physical properties.
Currently, there is significant interest in developing different packaging
materials because of the increasing demand for foods with minimum processing
and longer shelf life.
Nanocomposites in food packaging materials results in better mechanical and
thermal behavior of the packaging engineered .
Nanocomposites of biopolymer-layered silicate have noticeably enhanced
physical properties, such as higher tensile strength, enhanced thermal stability,
and better gas barrier properties.
Nanocomposites, the food packaging can better tolerate thermal stress of food
processing, shipping, and storage.

7. Nanocomposite active food packaging
Some nanofillers, such as silver, zinc oxide, and magnesium oxide, have
antimicrobial or antioxidant activities.
Incorporation of these nanofillers in polymer or biopolymer matrices leads to an
inhibiting or retarding effect on the growth of microorganisms, thereby reducing
food spoilage.
Anti-microbial nanocomposite films are worthwhile because of their anti-
microbial properties caused by natural anti-microbial agents and because of
their suitable structural integrity, which results from the barrier properties
created by the nanocomposite matrix . Nanoscale materials have a higher
surface-to-volume ratio than their microscale counterparts which enhances their
efficiency.
For Antimicrobial Silver Nanoparticle and TiO2 is used.
For Oxygen Scavengers TiO2 is used.

8. Antimicrobial packaging

9. Nanocomposite smart food packaging
Time-temperature integrators :Time- temperature indicators or integrators
(TTIs) are designed to monitor, record and translate whether a certain food
product is safe to be consumed, in terms of its temperature history.
Eg Accidental freezing leads to irreversible agglomeration of the gold
nanoparticles resulting in loss of the red color.
Detection of gases produced by food spoilage:-Nano sensors to detect gases are
usually based on metal oxides or, more recently, conducting polymer
nanocomposites, which are able to quantify and/or identify microorganisms
based on their gas emissions.
O2 sensors:-There has been an increasing interest to develop non-toxic and
irreversible O2 sensors to assure O2 absence in oxygen-free food packaging
systems, such as packaging under vacuum or nitrogen. Mb/SnO2 is used

10. Advantages of Nanoparticle
 Versatile
 Ease of operation
 Cost effectiveness
Decreased power requirements
Light weight
Self healing: nanomaterials respond to stresses, fractures, tears, puncture.
Nanoparticles migration within a composite material to the damage part and
remake the bonds and healed.

11. Disadvantages of Nanoparticle
The tiny sizes of the particles of nanomaterial, which can cause them to have
different chemical and than their macroscale chemical counterpart, giving
them the potential for causing health problems.
Detecting the migration of nanomaterial into food matrices requires more
sensitive analytical techniques due to the complexity of the nanomaterials and
their representing only a very small portion of the bulk food.
It has been reported that some nanomaterials are potentially harmful to human
health.

12. Conclusion
In food packaging, the use of biodegradable or natural polymers is restricted
because of their poor barrier and mechanical properties. By incorporation of
even low percentages of nanofillers, such as clay, into these biopolymers, a
considerable improvement in general performance can be achieved. This
includes mechanical, thermal, and barrier properties. Moreover, nanoparticles
could impart as their active or intelligent properties to food packaging so that
they can preserve the food against external factors and increase the food’s
stability through antimicrobial properties and/or responding to environmental
changes. In spite of several advantages of nanomaterials, their use in food
packaging may cause safety problems to human health since they exhibit
different physicochemical properties from their macro-scale chemical
counterparts.

13. Thank You