Trends in Edible Packaging Films and its Prospective Future in Food: A Review

Food packaging is an important area of food research due to its prime role in the protection and containment of foodstuffs. Traditionally petroleum-derived polymers fulfill the lion's share of packaging material requirements. However, present-day consumers are more concerned about the environmental impact and health hazards of these synthetic polymers. This necessitates the requirement of alternative packaging material with unique biodegradable and renewable characteristics. The edible film is considered a solution to replace these synthetic plastics with naturally available bio-macromolecules such as polysaccharides, proteins, and lipids. An enormous number of researches have been carried out across the world to explore its full potential. Their findings need to be consolidated for further development of this trending research area. Therefore, this article comprehensively reviews previous research progresses, such as different film formulations from various sources and their characteristics and product applications to guide the enthusiastic researchers. Finally, the last section of this article elaborates on safety and regulation aspects as well as recent trends and challenges to tackle all the obstacles in establishing a greener packaging option.