Nanocomposite Starch Films: A New Approach for Biodegradable Packaging Materials

The growing interest in nano-starch materials offers the opportunity to develop biomaterials for distinctive use in food, medicine, cosmetics, and other fields. The conceptual framework about the various changes in the properties of starch-based films after incorporation of nano starch particles are reported. Starch-based packaging films have not been widely used in the packaging industry, mainly because of their poor mechanical, barrier, and processing properties. To overcome such drawbacks, starch films are often made by integrating other filler materials such as nanoparticles into the starch matrix. The inclusion of starch nanoparticles in composite films leads to an overall change in the physicochemical, functional, and mechanical properties of the films. The nanocomposite films show novel features such as low solubility, reduced water vapor transmission rate, nontoxicity, and biodegradability thus making it a promising material for food and nonfood applications.