This document discusses the application of nanotechnology in food packaging. It begins by defining nanotechnology and nanomaterials. It then discusses how nanotechnology can improve food packaging by increasing barrier properties, mechanical properties, thermal stability and shelf life through the use of nanocomposites. It also describes how active packaging using nanomaterials can provide functions like oxygen scavenging, ethylene removal and antimicrobial effects. The document concludes by discussing intelligent packaging that uses nanosensors for indicators of time/temperature, oxygen, humidity and freshness as well as RFID technologies, but notes that more research is still needed to fully evaluate risks to food safety.

1. Application of nanotechnology in food Packaging
By
Dr. Bilal Ahmad Ashwar
(Lecturer)
Department of Food Science and Technology
University of Kashmir

2. INTRODUCTION
Nanotechnology
Fabrication or manipulation and characterization of materials in nano-size,
approximately 1–100 nm in length
 1nm = One billionth of a metre
The word “nano” comes from the Greek for “dwarf”
Richard Feynman invented as an idea in 1954
Norio Taniguchi coined the name “nanotechnology” in 1974

3. Nanomaterials
Materials with any external dimension in the nanoscale (nano-objects) or
having internal structure or surface structure in the nanoscale (nanostructured
materials)
Classification of nano-objects:
Nanoparticles: all external dimensions in the nanoscale.
Nanofibers: two external dimensions in the nanoscale and the third significantly
larger.
Nanoplates: one external dimension in the nanoscale and the other two
significantly larger.
INTRODUCTION

4. WHY NANOTECHNOLOGY ?
By reducing size, the surface area increases
This leads to increase in reactivity as reactivity is a function of surface area
For same amount of reactivity need lesser quantity of material

5. CREATION OF NANOMATERIAL
Top-down
by breaking up bulk material
Use of mechanical, thermal or electrical energy
Plant material, mineral materials
Bottom-up
allows nanostructures to be built from individual atoms
Examples: SiO2, TiO2, Nanosilver, ZnO, MgO, Clay, Carbon nanotubes,
Nanocellulose

6. PREPARATION OF NANOCOMPOSITES
Solution method
in-situ/interlamellar polymerisation

7.  Non-sustainable production
 Lack of recyclability
 Insufficient mechanical and barrier properties
 Packaging industry consumes more than 40% of the plastics with half of it for
food packaging
 Food quality and safety issues like
 proliferation of microorganism due to contamination and temperature abuse
 decrease of nutritional qualities due to oxidation,
 loss of organoleptic / nutritional qualities due to interaction with deleterious
extrinsic factors like light, oxygen and water
SHORTCOMINGS OF EXISTING PACKAGING SYSTEMS

8. APPLICATION OF NANOTECHNOLOGY IN FOOD PACKAGING

9. NANOCOMPOSITES
Basically montmorillonites (MMT) has been used
Polylactic acid + MMT = increased thermal resistance
Polyvinylchloride + MMT = improved optical resistance
Polyethylene + MMT/SiO2 = improved durability
Polyamide + multi wall carbon nanotubes = significant
flame resistance
Structure of clay

10. FUNCTIONS OF NANOCOMPOSITE PACKAGING
Exhibit improved properties due to the high aspect ratio and high surface area
Improved barrier properties (Oxygen, Light, Moisture, UV rays)
Excellent mechanical properties (Strength, Elasticity, Durability)
High Thermal stability
Lighter in weight
Bio-nanocomposites around 5 nm thin
Excellent vehicles for antioxidants, antimicrobials, colors, flavours and other
nutrients
Increased shelf life

11. NANO COMPOSITES
Improved barrier properties of nano composites
Tortuous pathway
 Favourable polymer- nanoparticle interactions

12. ACTIVE PACKAGING
Protection function of a package is enhanced by incorporating into it active nano
composites
Functions
Oxygen scavenging
Water vapour removal
Ethylene removal
Ethanol release
Self healing composites
Temperature regulator
Antimicrobial nanocomposites

13. NANOTECHNOLOGY IN ACTIVE PACKAGING
Oxygen scavengers
Ferrous iron powder contained in oxygen permeable sachet
Iron-based nanoclay with LDPE, HDPE, PET
Titanium dioxide (TiO2): act by a photocatalytic mechanism under UV rays
Reaction overview of UV-activated TiO2 nanoparticles

14. NANOTECHNOLOGY IN ACTIVE PACKAGING
Ethylene absorber
Nano-TiO2 oxidizes ethylene into water and CO2
Nano-Ag also has the function of absorbing and decomposing ethylene
Ethanol releaser
The nanoporous silica gel used in which ethanol is absorbed
Bactericidal effect
According to requirement released in required quantity

15. NANOTECHNOLOGY IN ACTIVE PACKAGING
Temperature regulator
Nanoporous calcium silicate loaded with phase change material (paraffin)
Mitigates the effect of an increase in external temperature
Self healing
 Self healing packaging materials use nano encapsulated repairing agents
Nanoparticles respond to stresses, fractures, tears, puncture
Nanoparticles migrate within a composite material to the damaged part and
remake the bonds

16. ANTIMICROBIAL NANOCOMPOSITES
Ag NPs
Ag NPs penetrate into the outer and inner membranes of the cells, disrupting
lipopolysaccharides and proteins
Their ability to inhibit respiratory chain enzymes and hinder the permeation of
protons and phosphate across the membrane, reducing the ATP levels
Interact with nucleic acids, disrupting the normal DNA replication
Catalytic activity of Ag NPs can produce ROS, resulting in oxidative stress

17. Ag NP Bacteriocidicity (A and B) damage to cell membranes (C) Growth of E. coli on
plates containing AgNPs at (i) 0, (ii) 10, (iii) 20 and (iv) 50 μg cm-3 (D) Number of
bacterial colonies able to grow on plates incubated with various amounts of AgNPs, as a
function of AgNP shape (Source: Duncan, 2011)
ANTIMICROBIAL NANOCOMPOSITES

18. ANTIMICROBIAL NANOCOMPOSITES
TiO2
Unlike AgNPs, the antimicrobial activity of TiO2 nanoparticles is
photocatalyzed
When the photocatalyst is irradiated with UV, ROS are generated
Inactivate several food related pathogens by peroxidation of phospholipids of
cell membrane
TiO2 nanoparticles protect food from the oxidizing effects of UV irradiation
Environment friendly

19. ANTIMICROBIAL NANOCOMPOSITES
ZnO
Recently introduced
Exhibits antimicrobial activity that increases with decreasing particle size
Stimulated by visible light
Exact mechanism still unknown
Carbon nanotube (CNT)
Fatal for E. coli
Long and thin CNTs puncture the microbial cells, causing the irreversible
damages
Application of CNT is stopped
CNTs are cytotoxic to human cells

20. ANTIMICROBIAL NANOCOMPOSITES
Nanoscale chitosan
Antibacterial activity of nanoscale chitosan has also been reported
Possible mechanism involves interactions between positively charged chitosan
and negatively charged cell membranes
Increasing membrane permeability
Eventually causing rupture and leakage of intracellular material

21. INTELLIGENT / SMART PACKAGING
Indicator/sensor can interact with internal factors (food components, headspace
species) or external environment
Interaction will generate a response (e.g., visual, electrical signal) that correlate
with the state of the food product.
Allow consumers to feel confident about what they are purchasing
Manufacturers to trace their foods along the supply line
Moreover Companies can identify and address areas of weakness
Radiofrequency identity tags
 Time-temperature indicators
Oxygen and carbon dioxide sensors,
Freshness indicators and so on

22. INTELLIGENT / SMART PACKAGING
Time-Temperature indicators
TTI’s confirm that processed food have been kept at the appropriate temperature
throughout the supply chain
TTI’s relies on the migration of a dye through a porous material, which is
temperature and time dependent or makes use of a chemical reaction which results
in a colour change
Triangular Ag nanoplates as colorimetric indicators (Zeng et al, 2010)
Ag nanoplates have sharp corners and become round during storage
Blue shift for the resonance peak, changing from cyan to blue with time
The rate of this color transformation is temperature-dependent
Advantages: lower cost, easier to produce, exhibit good visual feedback.

23. Mechanism of TiO2 nanoparticle based oxygen indicator
INTELLIGENT / SMART PACKAGING
Oxygen sensor
Components encapsulated in polymer carrier: TiO2 NPs, redox dye and a
sacrificial electron donar
 UV activated
blue color indicate exposure to O2

24. INTELLIGENT / SMART PACKAGING
Humidity Indicator
Moisture ingress through package is one of the main factors that accelerate the
degradation of food products
Detection of humidity will provide an indication on integrity of the package
Reflect the quality and safety of the food product.
 A humidity indicator developed using Nanocrystalline cellulose film made by
casting to form a thick iridescent film (Zhou, 2013)
The observed dry film color was blue-green
Upon exposure to high humidity or water, the color changes to red orange
less than 2 s to change color

25. INTELLIGENT / SMART PACKAGING
Freshness indicators
Freshness indicators provide real time information to the producer, retailer and
consumers on the actual product quality during storage and distribution
Freshness indicators rely on the detection of marker spoilage compounds or
microbial metabolites, such as volatile sulphides and amines
Silver / copper coating 1-10 nm thick on plastic film or paper packaging
structures (Smolander et al., 2014)
Upon reacting with sulphides, thin coating turns into distinctive dark color
Electronic Tongue technology
Device consists of an array of nanosensors extremely sensitive to gases released
by spoiling microorganisms, producing a colour change

26. INTELLIGENT / SMART PACKAGING
RFID
Great alternative to common barcodes due to their ability to incorporate a large
range of information into a scanned code
Assists data quick and in accurate way
RFID tags incorporate polymeric transistors that use nanoscale organic thin-film
technology
Conducting inks with metal nano particles
Some research groups are exploring the use of carbon nanotubes
Combining RFID systems with responsive materials, could also provide up-to
date information about the quality of the food within the package.

27. PERSPECTIVES AND CONCERNS
Main risk with nano-sized components is their migration into the food
Nanoparticles can induce intracellular damages, pulmonary inflammation and
vascular disease
Detail toxicological analysis is needed to elucidate the risks involved
Food safety should be the main concern when applying nanomaterials
Other issues:
Cost effectiveness
Consumer acceptance

28. CONCLUSION
Nanotechnology is an active area of research and rapid Commercialization
Food packaging has been targeted as a potential recipient of nanotechnology
The new properties that nanoscale may exhibit, may be unexpected and
unpredictable

29. THANK YOU