Potato Waste-Based Packaging Edibles: A Sustainable Approach for Food Preservation

Abstract

At present, majority of food packaging solutions are fossil-based plastics, which are obsessively produced, and used in an unsustainable manner. Low recycling proportion, non-degradability, and toxic emissions are some of plastic packaging disadvantages which limits its usage and opens an era of opportunity to discover sustainable edible packaging material from non-toxic, biocompatible, biodegradable, natural agricultural, or food resources along with waste utilization as current trend. Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) belongs to the Solanaceae family; regarded as major agricultural crops throughout the world. Potato peel and starch are the major byproduct wastes from potato-based processing industries. Various industrial applications are known, among which the recent one is its usage as a biodegradable antimicrobial, edible food packaging material. Potato waste is the best possible sustainable alternative to replace plasticized paper packaging. With secondary function, potato peel could be used further like an excellent fertilizer by returning through biological cycle; reducing the environmental impact as waste. Potato wastes are being utilized as matrix for the development of composite edible films, coatings, wrappers, capsules, and straws via many energy-efficient methods. Other ingredients are also used in combination for improvement in the potato waste properties by addition of plasticizers and cross-linkers and implanting the polymer with fillers like nanomaterials, fibers, capsules, and whiskers. Blending such natural and synthetic polymers with natural extracts and essential oils also helps in improving physicochemical properties. A number of growing innovators, scientists, researchers, and entrepreneurs are trying to make edible packaging from natural sources such as potato wastes despite the fact that easy convenience, mechanical properties, production, and cost of plastic food packaging are hard to beat. The present article piles up all necessary literature related to the most recent developments of potato waste in form of potential remedy for food packaging applications along with its role in preserving the food material with potential as active food packaging when enclosed in it.