{"title":"Physical, chemical, and nano-enabled modifications of starch for sustainable food packaging films: recent trends, challenges, and prospects","authors":"Prashant Anil Pawase , Aniket M. Pathare , Omar Bashir , Fizza Saleem , Esha Shrama , Swasti Mudgal , Mudasir Ahmad","doi":"10.1016/j.carpta.2025.100986","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The search for sustainable green alternatives in food packaging continues, as petroleum-based plastics remain a major environmental and health concern. Among naturally abundant polymers, starch is an attractive candidate due to its substantial availability, low cost, and structural flexibility for targeted modifications. This review critically examines potential starch sources for biodegradable film fabrication, highlighting physical and thermal modifications that have achieved notable performance gains—for example, acetylation improving tensile strength by up to 35 % and nanocellulose reinforcement reducing oxygen permeability by over 50 %. Film-making methods such as solution casting, extrusion, and blow moulding are evaluated for their influence on mechanical and barrier properties. The integration of nanocarriers and bioactive compounds is discussed in relation to mechanical enhancement, barrier improvement, and shelf-life extension. Additionally, processing parameters including moisture content, drying methods, and temperature are assessed for their impact on final film performance. Inorganic nanofillers such as zinc oxide, carbon nanotubes, graphene oxide, and titanium dioxide are compared with sustainable bio-based fillers, emphasizing their property enhancements and safety considerations. Unlike earlier reviews, this work synthesizes recent advances (2020–2024) with a dual focus on performance metrics and regulatory implications, providing a concise framework for guiding future development of high-performance, sustainable starch-based food packaging materials.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100213,"journal":{"name":"Carbohydrate Polymer Technologies and Applications","volume":"11 ","pages":"Article 100986"},"PeriodicalIF":6.5000,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Carbohydrate Polymer Technologies and Applications","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666893925003275","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"CHEMISTRY, APPLIED","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
The search for sustainable green alternatives in food packaging continues, as petroleum-based plastics remain a major environmental and health concern. Among naturally abundant polymers, starch is an attractive candidate due to its substantial availability, low cost, and structural flexibility for targeted modifications. This review critically examines potential starch sources for biodegradable film fabrication, highlighting physical and thermal modifications that have achieved notable performance gains—for example, acetylation improving tensile strength by up to 35 % and nanocellulose reinforcement reducing oxygen permeability by over 50 %. Film-making methods such as solution casting, extrusion, and blow moulding are evaluated for their influence on mechanical and barrier properties. The integration of nanocarriers and bioactive compounds is discussed in relation to mechanical enhancement, barrier improvement, and shelf-life extension. Additionally, processing parameters including moisture content, drying methods, and temperature are assessed for their impact on final film performance. Inorganic nanofillers such as zinc oxide, carbon nanotubes, graphene oxide, and titanium dioxide are compared with sustainable bio-based fillers, emphasizing their property enhancements and safety considerations. Unlike earlier reviews, this work synthesizes recent advances (2020–2024) with a dual focus on performance metrics and regulatory implications, providing a concise framework for guiding future development of high-performance, sustainable starch-based food packaging materials.