Development and use of food packaging from plant leaves in developing countries

Abstract

Plastic materials are the main food packaging material both in developed and developing countries, because of their reliable ability to protect and transport food at lower costs. Unfortunately, they harm the environment due to their resistance to biodegradation, lack of waste management, and restricted recyclability. Moreover, they may pose adverse health effects to consumers. Therefore, there is a need to develop environmentally friendly food packaging using bio-based or biodegradable materials. For instance, several innovations based on biopolymers are being developed especially in developed countries. On the other side, in many developing countries, there is a long tradition of using plant leaves as food packaging. These leaves have cultural, religious, and environmental significance in the tropics. Unfortunately, they do not always guarantee the integrity of the packaged products and there is a need to promote them to take full advantage of their potential. However, there is little information on leaf packaging in literature. Therefore, this review aims to provide an overview on the state-of-the-art of leaf packaging in developing countries, in an attempt to compile the information required for further investigations needed to take full advantage of the environmental importance of leaf packaging. This study highlights mainly various plant species used as leaf packaging, treatments undergone by the leaves before their use, and leaf packaging effects on food quality and safety. It also discusses future perspectives to promote leaf packaging.