in nanotechnology for food preservation include active packaging involving the
combination of antimicrobial substances with food packaging materials. This
majorly includes incorporation of antibacterial nanoparticles into polymer films. It
was observed that an intensive contact between food product and packaging material
is necessary in the case of both migrating and non-migrating antimicrobial materials.
Hence potential food applications include vacuum or skin-packaged products, e.g.
vacuum-packaged meat, fish, poultry, or cheese. Nanocomposite materials reportedly show greater barrier properties, mechanical strength, and temperature resistance
as opposed to traditional composites. Fillers like nanoclays, carbon nanotubes,
kaolinite, and graphene nanosheets boost shelf life by acting against the diffusion
of gases and flavor-giving volatiles (Attrey 2017; Elisa et al. 2018). Among the
materials that received considerable attention for their sustainability are cellulose
and polylactic acid (PLA) because they are biodegradable materials with suitable
mechanical and optical properties. PLA, additionally, offers the advantages of easy
production (its monomer lactic acid is a fermentation product of carbonaceous
feedstock) and biocompatible disposal compared to traditional petro-based
polymers. It is also possible to integrate antimicrobials with carriers like plastics,
paper-based materials, textile fibrils, and packaging materials. Fluorescent
nanoparticles integrated with antibodies help in identifying chemical and food
borne pathogens. In order to successfully employ polymer nanotechnology in food
technology it is important to consider the complete lifecycle of the material which
helps in understanding its holistic impact in all stages of production and on all forms
of life and environment. Life cycle assessment (LCA) studies help in monitoring the
said impacts right from raw materials in production to usage until disposal. They also
help in optimizing material and energy recovery for sustainability.
15.5 Recent Patents for Active Packaging System
For search of information related to active food packaging system, different webresources have been used, such as Google patents, The Web of Knowledge, and
WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization). In order to analyze the application of active packaging in food with respect to issued patents, number of patents
evolved from January 2009 to April 2019 was retrieved from the PATENTSCOPE
database under WIPO. The search was performed using “FP:(Active Packaging of
food)” as a keyword. Six hundred and sixty-one number of the patents on the
application of active packaging in food were published in the last 10 years. For all
the obtained data, various aspects like: title, abstract, assignee country, number and
date of deposit, etc., were analyzed. It was found that, China has contributed
maximum number of patents (227) in this field followed by Russian Federation
(114) till date as shown in Fig. 15.3.
The number of applications increased in 2012, peaking in 2017, signaling a
potential increase in product and process innovation in a global context. After
2017, there is a slight decrease and constancy was observed in the following
years. 2017 was the year with the highest number of patents granted (Fig. 15.4).
322
B. Mishra et al.
combination of antimicrobial substances with food packaging materials. This
majorly includes incorporation of antibacterial nanoparticles into polymer films. It
was observed that an intensive contact between food product and packaging material
is necessary in the case of both migrating and non-migrating antimicrobial materials.
Hence potential food applications include vacuum or skin-packaged products, e.g.
vacuum-packaged meat, fish, poultry, or cheese. Nanocomposite materials reportedly show greater barrier properties, mechanical strength, and temperature resistance
as opposed to traditional composites. Fillers like nanoclays, carbon nanotubes,
kaolinite, and graphene nanosheets boost shelf life by acting against the diffusion
of gases and flavor-giving volatiles (Attrey 2017; Elisa et al. 2018). Among the
materials that received considerable attention for their sustainability are cellulose
and polylactic acid (PLA) because they are biodegradable materials with suitable
mechanical and optical properties. PLA, additionally, offers the advantages of easy
production (its monomer lactic acid is a fermentation product of carbonaceous
feedstock) and biocompatible disposal compared to traditional petro-based
polymers. It is also possible to integrate antimicrobials with carriers like plastics,
paper-based materials, textile fibrils, and packaging materials. Fluorescent
nanoparticles integrated with antibodies help in identifying chemical and food
borne pathogens. In order to successfully employ polymer nanotechnology in food
technology it is important to consider the complete lifecycle of the material which
helps in understanding its holistic impact in all stages of production and on all forms
of life and environment. Life cycle assessment (LCA) studies help in monitoring the
said impacts right from raw materials in production to usage until disposal. They also
help in optimizing material and energy recovery for sustainability.
15.5 Recent Patents for Active Packaging System
For search of information related to active food packaging system, different webresources have been used, such as Google patents, The Web of Knowledge, and
WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization). In order to analyze the application of active packaging in food with respect to issued patents, number of patents
evolved from January 2009 to April 2019 was retrieved from the PATENTSCOPE
database under WIPO. The search was performed using “FP:(Active Packaging of
food)” as a keyword. Six hundred and sixty-one number of the patents on the
application of active packaging in food were published in the last 10 years. For all
the obtained data, various aspects like: title, abstract, assignee country, number and
date of deposit, etc., were analyzed. It was found that, China has contributed
maximum number of patents (227) in this field followed by Russian Federation
(114) till date as shown in Fig. 15.3.
The number of applications increased in 2012, peaking in 2017, signaling a
potential increase in product and process innovation in a global context. After
2017, there is a slight decrease and constancy was observed in the following
years. 2017 was the year with the highest number of patents granted (Fig. 15.4).
322
B. Mishra et al.