Preparation of Organic and Inorganic Nanoparticles and their Subsequent Application in Nanocomposites for Food Packaging Systems: A Review

Objectives: To review the methods involved in the preparation of organic and inorganic nanoparticles important for the food packaging sector and their applications thereafter. Findings: Nanotechnology has come up with its contribution in food packaging technology by providing various kinds of packaging materials, films, coatings etc. Different nanoparticles and biopolymers could be coupled resulting in biodegradable films that not only provides mechanical strength, barrier properties, increased shelf life but also provides antimicrobial properties that helps in keeping the food safe and fit for human consumption. Among these nanoparticles there come the metal oxides (inorganic) such as TiO2, ZnO and Ag, also organic nanoparticles such as chitosan and starch nanoparticles which are safe for human consumption. The inorganic nanoparticles were effectively prepared in the previous studies by sol-gel method, mechano- chemical processing and physical vapor synthesis whereas entirely different methods were effective for organic nanoparticles viz. acid hydrolysis, ultrasonication, ionic gelation and reverse micellar method. Application/Improvements: The review reflects the information available on nanoparticles’ synthesis and their application; it could further be used to conduct studies on thrust areas such as nanoparticle aggregation and migration of nanoparticles into the food.