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Transformation of food packaging from passive to innovative via nanotechnology: concepts and critiques

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Abstract

In recent decades, there is a global advancement in manufacturing industry due to increased applications of nanotechnology. Food industry also has been tremendously changing from passive packaging to innovative packaging, to cope with global trends, technological advancements, and consumer preferences. Active research is taking place in food industry and other scientific fields to develop innovative packages including smart, intelligent and active food packaging for more effective and efficient packaging materials with balanced environmental issues. However, in food industry the features behind smart packaging are narrowly defined to be distinguished from intelligent packaging as in other scientific fields, where smart materials are under critical investigations. This review presents some scientific concepts and features pertaining innovative food packaging. The review opens new research window in innovative food packaging to cover the existing disparities for further precise research and development of food packaging industry.

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Acknowledgement

The authors appreciate the financial support from the Government of Tanzania through the Commission for Sciences and Technology (COSTECH) and Centre for Science & Technology of Non-Aligned and Other Developing Countries (NAM S&T Centre), Government of India, through Research Training Fellowship for Developing Country Scientists (RTF-DCS) 2014/2015. N.M thanks the management of the NM-AIST for permission granted to attend the training and the Central Institute of Post-Harvest Engineering and Technology (CIPHET), Ludhiana, Punjab, India for hosting the research work.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Life Sciences and Bioengineering, Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology (NM-AIST), P.O. Box 447, Arusha, Tanzania

    Nichrous Mlalila & Hulda Swai

  2. ICAR-Central Institute of Post-Harvest Engineering and Technology (ICAR-CIPHET), P.O. PAU, Ludhiana, Punjab, 141 004, India

    Nichrous Mlalila & Dattatreya M. Kadam

  3. Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology (NM-AIST), P.O. Box 447, Arusha, Tanzania

    Askwar Hilonga

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  1. Nichrous Mlalila
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  2. Dattatreya M. Kadam
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Correspondence to Nichrous Mlalila.

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Mlalila, N., Kadam, D.M., Swai, H. et al. Transformation of food packaging from passive to innovative via nanotechnology: concepts and critiques. J Food Sci Technol 53, 3395–3407 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13197-016-2325-6

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