Food packaging is the most obvious example of a food contact material.

This Rapra Review Report, Coatings and Inks for Food Contact Materials, has attempted to cover all of the coatings and inks products used in food contact scenarios. In practice, this encompasses an extremely wide range of polymer systems and formulations, and an emphasis has been placed on coatings and inks used in food packaging, as this is usually regarded as representing the most important application category with respect to the potential for migration to occur. In addition to a thorough introduction of the polymers and additives that are used to produce coatings and inks, there are also chapters covering the regulation of these materials, the migration and analytical tests that are performed on them to assess their suitability for food contact applications, the migration data that have been published, and the areas in the field that are receiving the most attention for research and development. The report is accompanied by around 400 abstracts compiled from the Polymer Library, to facilitate further reading on this subject.

Polymer nanotechnology offers exciting benefits to the food industry, including better materials for food packaging and safer foods on supermarket shelves with lower incidences of contamination. Ecosustainable Polymer Nanomaterials for Food Packaging: Innovative Solutions, Characterization Needs, Safety and Environmental Issues examines the complete life cycle of packaging based on polymer nanomaterials. Focusing on current developments in nanomaterial packaging applications most likely to be accepted by consumers and attract regulatory attention in the immediate future, the book begins with a general introduction to current issues and future trends. The remaining chapters explore: The concept of "ethical design"—putting into practice key ideas such as the precautionary principle and presenting a model for accountability, responsibility, and ethical consideration The evolution of the rheology, structure, and morphology of nanomaterials with regard to processing conditions and constituents The application of plasma technologies for the production of barrier coatings on polymeric materials by nonequilibrium gas discharges Nanomaterials for food packaging developed from oil polymers (polyolefins) and from renewable resource polymers The use of cellulose nanowhiskers for food biopackaging and edible nano-laminate coatings The interactions of nanomaterials with food Examples of degradation under natural weathering, exposure, and recycling The book concludes with a discussion on the use of polymer nanocomposite materials for food packaging applications. From raw material selection to properties characterization to marketing and disposal, the expert contributors consider the balance between cost and performance, risk and benefit, and health and environmental issues. They also identify barriers to progress that prevent a complete successful development of the new technology and recommend strategies for further advancement.

Taking into account toxicity levels at normal consumption levels, intake per kg bodyweight and other acknowledged considerations, each chapter in this book will be based on one or more proven examples. It is intended to provide specific examples and potential improvements to the safety of the world's food supply, while also increasing the amount of food available to those in undernourished countries. This book is designed to to provide science-based tools for improving legislation and regulation. - Reduce amount of food destroyed due to difference in regulations between nations - Positively impact the time-to-market of new food products by recognizing benefit of "one rule that applies to all" - Use the comparison of regulations and resulting consequences to make appropriate, fully-informed decisions - Employ proven science to obtain global consensus for regulations - Understand how to harmonize test protocols and analytical methods for accurate measurement and evaluation - Take advantage of using a risk/benefit based approach rather than risk/avoidance to maximize regulatory decisions

Food packaging performs an essential function, but packaging materials can have a negative impact on the environment. This collection reviews bio-based, biodegradable and recycled materials and their current and potential applications for food protection and preservation.The first part of the book looks at the latest advances in bio-based food packaging materials. Part two discusses the factors involved in choosing alternative packaging materials such as consumer preference, measuring the environmental performance of food packaging, eco-design, and the safety and quality of recycled materials. Part three contains chapters on the applications of environmentally-compatible materials in particular product sectors, including the packaging of fresh horticultural produce, dairy products and seafood. This section also covers active packaging, modified atmosphere packaging and biobased intelligent food packaging. The book finishes with a summary of the legislation and certification of environmentally-compatible packaging in the EU.With its distinguished editor and contributors, Environmentally-compatible food packaging is a valuable reference tool for professionals in the food processing and packaging industries. - Reviews bio-based, biodegradable and recycled materials and their current and potential applications - Discusses consumer preference, environmental performance, eco-design and the quality of recycled materials as factors involved in choosing alternative packaging materials - Summarises EU legislation and certification of environmentally compatible packaging