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Nanotechnology in Food Packaging Applications: Barrier Materials, Antimicrobial Agents, Sensors, and Safety Assessment

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Handbook of Ecomaterials

Abstract

Nanotechnology is one of the most promising scientific fields of research in decades; it has the potential to revolutionize the global food system. Demand for safe food products represents crucial challenges for the food-packaging industry with the idea to design and produce novel packaging solutions able to maintain the safety and quality of products. In this chapter, some of the most relevant applications and challenges of nanotechnology in the field of food packaging are discussed, including nanocomposites that enhance the barrier properties of the packaging film, nanoparticles as potent antimicrobial agents, nanosystems for controlled delivery, and nanosensors and nanomaterial-based assays for the detection of food relevant analytes (gasses, small organic molecules, and food-borne pathogens). Risk assessment and safety concerns with respect to food research have also been highlighted. Being nanotechnology still a relatively new technology, there are safety concerns, which are attracting attention to international regulations to make safer the acceptance of this tool by the industry and consumers.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Chemical Engineering Department – Food Engineering Group – Engineering Faculty, National University of Mar del Plata, Mar del Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    María R. Ansorena

  2. National Research Council (CONICET), Mar del Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Norma E. Marcovich & María R. Ansorena

  3. Ecomaterials, Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencia y Tecnología de Materiales (INTEMA-CONICET), Mar del Plata, Argentina

    Mariana Pereda & Norma E. Marcovich

Authors
  1. Mariana Pereda
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  2. Norma E. Marcovich
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  3. María R. Ansorena
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to María R. Ansorena .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto de Ingeniería Civil Facultad de Ingeniería Civil, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, San Nicolás de los Garza, Nuevo León, Mexico

    Leticia Myriam Torres Martínez

  2. Facultad de Ciencias Físico-Matemáticas, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, San Nicolás de los Garza, Mexico

    Oxana Vasilievna Kharissova

  3. Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León UANL, San Nicolás de los Garza, Nuevo León, Mexico

    Boris Ildusovich Kharisov

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Pereda, M., Marcovich, N.E., Ansorena, M.R. (2019). Nanotechnology in Food Packaging Applications: Barrier Materials, Antimicrobial Agents, Sensors, and Safety Assessment. In: Martínez, L., Kharissova, O., Kharisov, B. (eds) Handbook of Ecomaterials. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-68255-6_30

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