Food Packaging Practice Test: Edible, Biobased and Biodegradable Food Packaging Materials — Flashcards

Edible and biobased food packaging materials are made from edible biopolymers and food-grade additives. These biopolymers can be lipids, proteins, or polysaccharides (carbohydrates and gums). 

Here are some examples of edible, biobased, and biodegradable food packaging materials:
Chitosan
A nontoxic, biocompatible, and biodegradable material that inhibits the growth of bacteria, fungi, and yeasts. It also has gas and aroma barrier properties in dry conditions.
Starch
A natural polymer that is abundant, cheap, biodegradable, and edible.
Alginate
A natural polymer that is FDA-approved and used in food, biomedical, and pharmaceutical applications. It is considered low or nontoxic, non-immunogenic, biocompatible, and biodegradable.
Cornstarch
An organic, biodegradable material derived from the corn or maize plant. It is a great substitute for traditional plastics and is suitable for all types of food packaging.
Seaweed
A biodegradable and edible alternative to plastic. It is estimated that plastic-like packaging made from seaweed can take up to six weeks to biodegrade completely.
Hemicellulose
A biodegradable material that can be used as both food packaging and edible film. 

Edible and biobased packaging materials have a higher water vapor permeability than traditional packaging materials. However, they are better than traditional packaging materials because they:
Improve product flavor
Have a higher resistance to oxygen permeability
Are more sustainable