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Food Packaging
A broad field of future innovations in the use of new nanomaterials can be seen in the area of food commodities such as packaging materials and processing materials. This could mean advantages for both consumers and manufacturers. Forecasts for 2010 have predicted a market volume of $3 to $5 billion in nanotechnologically equipped packaging.
By using clay nanoparticles, it is possible to improve the strength or rigidity of a material so that, for instance, multiple packaging can be avoided. The clay nanoparticles used are clay minerals in the form of montmo-rillonite, a silicate that naturally occurs, with a layer thickness of 1 nanometer (nm). The individual layers of montmorillonite, however, agglomerate into larger clusters that are held together by van der Waals forces. In order to introduce these nanoparticles into a polymer, such as polypropylene, polyethylene terephthal-ate (PET), or polyamide, they are first separated in an exfoliation process and then lie in the polymer matrix as singular montmorillonite particles with a layer thickness of 1 nm. The characteristics of what is known as a nanocomposite vary according to how the clay particles are arranged, their amount in relation to the polymer, and the relation between surface and layer thickness.
Packaging Options
Products that are suitable for use in packaging materials are mainly in the plastics group. In this area, solutions were developed with nanomaterials, which not only make plastic lighter, stronger, or more heat resistant, but can also serve to improve the quality, and preserve the safety of packaged foods. In functionalized plastic packaging with a barrier effect (frequently in the form of so-called sandwich foils—nanolayers made of aluminum or aluminum oxide) protect food from, for example, oxygen, steam, light, or flavorings. In addition, there are packaging materials with antibacterial effects, or packages with improved thermal characteristics, or integrated indicators. The nanocomposites used are suitable for the production of foils for packaging meat, sausages, cheese, or fruit. These foils are also used for microwave products.
There are currently no indications that fullerenes, nanotubes, or dendrimers will be implemented in food packaging. However, it must be assumed that food commodities made with clay nanoparticles are already being marketed. Particularly in PET plastic bottles, nanoparticles are used to improve the bottles' capacity to block out oxygen, in particular. Here, the objective of nanocomposites is to allow durable and tasteless packaging of beer or soft drinks in plastic. There are also products on the market that are endowed with nanoscale silver to achieve a microbicidal effect. In some countries, fresh products are packaged in containers that are given a nanolayer of silver, which has a bactericidal effect. This permits longer shelf life of the food. Both PET plastic bottles and plastic films usually consist of single layers, with the innermost layer containing the clay nanopaticles embedded in a polymer. If nanoparticles of metal (gold or silver) or of metal oxides (zinc, titanium, or silicon) are also mixed with this innermost layer, the resulting packaging better absorbs ultraviolet (UV) light.
The objective of nanocomposites is to allow durable and tasteless packaging of beer, water, or soft drinks in plastic. There are also products on the market that are endowed with nanoscale silver to achieve a microbicidal effect.
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