The Case for Advanced Recycling as a Path to Sustainable Food Packaging for Specialized Nutrition Products

Food packaging helps in labeling, transport, preservation, and the safety of food. Safety is especially critical in processing foods for vulnerable populations like infants/children, individuals with medical conditions, and older adults. These groups frequently rely on specialized nutrition products, including foods regulated in the United States (US) as infant formulas, medical foods, and foods for special dietary use (FSDU). As US states set post-consumer recycled (PCR) content mandates for product packaging, newer technologies like advanced recycling are essential to meet developing demands for recycled and sustainable packaging materials for specialized nutrition products. Also, advanced recycling must be fully supported in sustainability policies to ensure an adequate and safe recycled packaging supply. However, these urgent needs may not be well-recognized or understood. A literature search to identify scientific publications produced during the last 25 years found few papers specific to the packaging of specialized nutrition products and advanced recycling. Understanding emerging trends in safe food packaging materials, recycling, and sustainability policies is essential for maintaining access to specialized nutrition products in the US. This Perspective makes the case for advanced recycling as a path to safe, more sustainable food packaging for US specialized nutrition products and describes opportunities for strengthening the advanced recycling policy framework.