A review of biopolymer films application for sustainable packaging of edible oils

Abstract

Lipid oxidation is a major cause of off-flavors and the loss of nutrients in fat-containing foods and oils. The prevention or retardation of those deteriorative reactions of oil during processing and storage is required. Commercially available synthetic packaging materials are causing serious environmental problems due to their non-degradability. To reduce environmental impacts associated with synthetic plastics, biopolymer materials have a great potential to be used instead. Further, biopolymers play an important role in food preservation because of their antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. The packing system is comprised of natural active materials that can improve the shelf life of oil-packed, minimize oxidation and improve mechanical, barrier and biological properties of biopolymer films. This paper aims to review currently available literature in the field of biopolymer materials application for packaging different types of edible oils.

Keywords

• edible oil
• oil oxidation
• active packaging
• biopolymer films