Intelligent packaging films based on two-dimensional nanomaterials for food safety and quality monitoring: Future insights and roadblocks

More than 1.3 billion tons of foodstuffs are wasted each year because of their storage, handling, transportation or sale, resulting in the world suffering from famine and food shortages. This means that huge amounts of the resources utilized in food production are wasted. Greenhouse gas emissions caused by food degradation that gets wasted results in serious environmental and human health impacts. Food losses could be caused by microbes, temperature, humidity, UV-lights, or other factors related to the current pandemics, that have serious jeopardy impacts on the food security and the environment. Thus, smart packaging-based 2D-nanomaterials (2DMs) including sensors and pH-responsive tags have developed for achieving the quality and prolong the shelf-life of foodstuffs. Because they are capable to detect, sense, record internal or external changes in the product’s area. They also can give a prompt message or color changing to the producer or consumer to decide about the shelf lives and expiration dates for consuming the foodstuffs without deteriorating food and packaging. This study reviews the recent advancements in 2DMs regarding preparation, characterization, and applications including active/intelligent food packaging industries. Facile and green functionalization of 2DMs-based graphene oxide (GO) by folic acid or natural dyes enabling them be used in several sensor/artificial intelligence disciplines are discussed. Future insights on the challenges towards the potential outbreak prevention in foodstuffs and their control in long-term use and risk management of these materials are also discussed.