This review illustrated the potential of nanocomposites in food packaging. The main driver is the need for better barrier properties from polymeric materials. Better barriers against the migration of oxygen, CO2, water vapor, and flavor compounds would have a major impact on the shelf-life of fresh and processed foods. For the case of biopolymers, improving water and gas barrier properties is a critical issue.
Nanocomposites technology is still in its early stages. MMT and kaolinite clays have shown good potential for improving the properties of polymeric materials. Graphene nanoplates are novel highly promising carbon-based nanosized fillers. Best effects are generally observed at low loads (∼5 wt%). Good compatibility between filler and polymer is essential, thus the importance of chemically modified clays. With respect to processing, although exfoliation is recognized as a processing goal, an orderly array of platelets in the polymer matrix, which would maximize effectiveness, is still largely unachieved. Improvements in barrier properties are often reported at 50% that of the neat polymer. Thus, polymers of intrinsically better barrier properties will render even better products as nanocomposites. Further improvements could be expected from the development of more compatible filler-polymer systems, better processing technologies, and a systems approach to the design of polymer-plasticizer-filler.