Composites Materials for Food Packaging : Innovative and Environmentally Sound Strategies

The novel insights, as well as the main drawbacks of each engineered composites material is extensively evaluated taking into account the strong relationship between packaging materials, environmental and reusability concerns, food quality, and nutritional value.

Composites, by matching the properties of different components, allow the development of innovative and performing strategies for intelligent food packaging, thus overcoming the limitations of using only a single material.

The book starts with the description of montmorillonite and halloysite composites, subsequently moving to metal-based materials with special emphasis on silver, zinc, silicium and iron. After the discussion about how the biological influences of such materials can affect the performance of packaging, the investigation of superior properties of sp2 carbon nanostructures is reported. Here, carbon nanotubes and graphene are described as starting points for the preparation of highly engineered composites able to promote the enhancement of shelf-life by virtue of their mechanical and electrical features.

Finally, in the effort to find innovative composites, the applicability of biodegradable materials from both natural (e.g. cellulose) and synthetic (e.g. polylactic acid – PLA) origins, with the aim to prove that polymer-based materials can overcome some key limitations such as environmental impact and waste disposal.

Giuseppe Cirillo received his PhD in 2008 from the University of Calabria Italy where he is currently in a post-doctoral position. His research interests are in the development of functional polymers with tailored biological activity (antioxidant, antimicrobial, anticancer, chelating), the design of smart hydrogels for drug delivery, the study of the activity of innovative functional foods and nutraceuticals, and the synthesis and functionalization of carbon nanotubes-based devices for biomedical applications. He is the author and co-author of more than 100 publications, including four edited books with Wiley-Scrivener.

Marek A. Kozlowski has 47 years' experience in polymer chemistry and technology and is Professor Emeritus from Wroclaw University of Technology, Poland. He is the author of 360 papers and patents, holder of several national and international prizes and honours and is a member of IUPAC WP 4.1. His research interests include polymer blends and composites of pre-designed properties, in particular the interrelations between structure, processing and properties of multiphase systems. He is an Expert of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization and evaluator of proposals submitted to the European Community R&D Programs.

Umile Gianfranco Spizzirri obtained his PhD in 2005 from the University of Calabria. He is currently a member of the Technical Staff at the Department of Pharmacy, Nutrition and Health Science of the same university. His research activities are mainly related to the polymer chemistry and technology for the preparation of stimuli-responsive drug delivery system, functional polymers for food industry, and new analytical methodologies for the food quality and safety assessment. He is the author and co-author of more than 100 publications, including three edited books with Wiley-Scrivener.