Nowadays, consumers are more aware of what they eat and also request,
minimally processed foods and they tend to prefer biodegradable or bio-based
packaging. One of the most accepted technologies to battle this problematic is active
packaging. Active packaging protects the food product by extending its shelf-life while
guaranteeing its safety through the addition of antimicrobials or antioxidants that
actively interact with the packaging atmosphere or the food product to avoid oxidation
processes, microbial growth and other routes responsible for food spoilage. Although
yet not fully implemented in Europe, active packaging is expected to reach a compound
annual growth rate of 6.9% in 2020. However, in order to get these active packaging
solutions into the market, their safety must be ensured and they must comply with the
European legislation on the topic, both for the active substances incorporated into the
packaging materials as for the packaging material itself. These packaging materials,
either plastic or bio-based, can pose food safety risks to consumers due to the migration
of compounds from the packaging to the food product. Compounds like plasticizers,
additives, polymer monomers/oligomers and even non-intentionally added substances
(NIAS) can migrate from the packaging material to the food product at concentrations
capable to endanger human health and, therefore, they must be correctly detected and
identified, to allow a correct risk assessment and strict monitoring of the packaging
materials available.
Keywords: Active packaging, Antioxidant, Antimicrobial, Migration, Release,
Food contact materials, Bio-based polymers, Natural compounds, Nonintentionally
added substances.
