Research Prospects of Edible Packaging: Materials, Processing, Industrial Relevance, and Future Development

Objective: Due to growing environmental concerns about non-biodegradable packaging waste, interest in edible packaging materials as a sustainable alternative to conventional packaging has increased. The objective of this article is to critically analyze recent advancements in edible packaging materials, their production processes, and applications, and identify the key challenges that limit their large-scale commercialization. A critical review of current research was done, emphasizing the use of edible packaging materials obtained from carbohydrate, protein, and lipid-based biopolymers. The characteristics of packaging materials, different production procedures (casting, molding, extrusion, three-dimensional printing, spraying, etc.), and the applications of additives were analyzed across different food applications. Protein and polysaccharide-based packaging materials possess better mechanical strength and gasbarrier properties. Lipid-based biopolymers have improved moisture resistance. The addition of antioxidants, antimicrobial agents, natural pigments, etc., enhances functional properties, food safety, and shelf life of food materials. Despite having varying material performance and high cost, the advanced methods like three-dimensional printing and extrusion have the potential to improve the scalability. Despite having environmental advantages and functional properties, this technology faces several hindrances, economic constraints, a lack of process standardization, and difficulties in scaling-up. To reduce the gap between laboratory-scale procedures and commercial applications, future research should focus on material optimization, cost reduction, and process standardization. This review summarizes the recent progress and limitations of edible packaging research and highlights its possibility to produce a sustainable, environmentally friendly, consumer-oriented food contact system.