The untapped potential of zeolites in techno-augmentation of the biomaterials and food industrial processing operations: a review

Abstract

Zeolites are aluminosilicate compounds with excellent selective, precise adsorption capabilities that find their potential applications in various sectors of the biomaterials and food industry. The zeolites from ages have been utilized in biomedicine, catalysis, detergent and air purification industries but their commercial applications in the biomaterials and food industry are not studied enough. Zeolites are known to reduce mycotoxins, toxic compounds, heavy metals, and microbes. The present review tries to summarize different arenas of zeolite applications in the biomaterials and food industry. The article also includes a discussion of individual applications of zeolitic properties like antimicrobial effect, food nanoreactors and intelligent food contact behaviour in brief. Moreover, sound coverage is given over zeolite classification, their synthesis and the modelling of their adsorption behaviour. The outcomes of the review emphasize the commercial viability of zeolites and their potential to serve as a possible alternative to many processing steps which ultimately will economise the production process in the food industry. This review also emphasizes extensive research that needs to be carried out to further improvise the capabilities of zeolites to overcome the challenges lying around them.