Improving Seafood Packaging with Biopolymers and Nanotechnology

Researchers are investigating new, high-tech approaches for “smart” seafood packaging using biopolymers and nanotechnology.

Seafood, typically packaged in synthetic plastic, is highly perishable during storage. Enzyme degradation and oxidative changes can reduce shelf life, as can gram-negative psychotropic bacteria. Due to environmental concerns, many seafood packagers seek sustainable alternatives to traditional synthetic plastic packaging.

You can also read: Microplastics in Food – How Much?

Advancements in biopolymer smart nano-packaging may provide a solution to seafood’s unique packaging needs. This novel packaging ensures seafood quality and can extend its shelf life—and it is biodegradable.

What is Smart Packaging?

Biopolymers, such as proteins, polysaccharides, and polylactic acid, are renewable, biodegradable alternatives to synthetic plastics. Biopolymers can have additional added properties when combined with nanotechnology, creating “smart” packaging. Smart packaging combines:

• Active packaging – contains active substances to prevent food deterioration, extend shelf life, and improve food safety and quality.
• Intelligent packaging – sensors and detectors that provide information about product quality, environmental conditions, and food-related gases.

Active packaging contains active substances, such as antimicrobials and antioxidants. This packaging performs roles further than those of conventional packing, regulating moisture, releasing ethanol, removing CO₂, and more. Nano-engineered particles can further improve barrier quality, thermal stability, and durability of packaging. Using nanotechnology, intelligent packaging can monitor and control the conditions of food, making sure it is safe for consumption.

Smart packaging combines both active and intelligent packaging types, allowing the materials to respond to specific stimuli. One such example is a pigmented freshness indicator, changing color in response to changes in the packaged products. Adding natural antioxidants, such as caraway seed extract, to biopolymers, can bring these properties to packaging.

From Cinnamon to Extended Shelf Life

A 2024 study found that nanoparticles containing cinnamon essential oil reduced lipid and protein degradation in packaged seafood. This extended the shelf life of rainbow trout fillets during 12 days of refrigerated storage.

To prevent moisture accumulation, nanoengineering can help fine-tune the desired polarity for moister regulation in biopolymers. For example, incorporating nanocrystalline cellulose in a chitosan matrix reduces water vapor permeability, solubility, and swelling. Cinnamaldehyde-loaded zein nanoparticles in polyvinyl alcohol/chitosan films also showed good results, improving water resistance, oxygen barrier properties, and mechanical strength. It is important to select the appropriate nanoformulation and concentration to achieve the desired results.

Challenges of Using These Materials

One of the primary challenges for implementing biopolymer smart nano-packaging is understanding how different nanoformulation methods affect packaging. Using bioactive ingredients without thorough research can lead to potential hazards, such as migration of nanomaterials into the food matrix. Additionally, these composites must be proven to be stable under various storage conditions. At first, scaling up production of these materials may be costly to both seafood packers and, ultimately, consumers. Nevertheless, smart biopolymer packing materials offer an innovative approach to seafood packaging. As researchers continue to investigate and implement these technologies, the future of seafood packaging may be more sustainable—and high-tech.