Nanocarriers for Sustainable Active Packaging: An Overview during and Post COVID-19

Lockdown has been installed due to the fast spread of COVID-19, and several challengeshave occurred. Active packaging was considered a sustainable option for mitigating risks to foodsystems during COVID-19. Biopolymeric-based active packaging incorporating the release of activecompounds with antimicrobial and antioxidant activity represents an innovative solution for increasingshelf life and maintaining food quality during transportation from producers to consumers.However, food packaging requires certain physical, chemical, and mechanical performances, whichbiopolymers such as proteins, polysaccharides, and lipids have not satisfied. In addition, activecompounds have low stability and can easily burst when added directly into biopolymeric materials.Due to these drawbacks, encapsulation into lipid-based, polymeric-based, and nanoclay-basednanocarriers has currently captured increased interest. Nanocarriers can protect and control therelease of active compounds and can enhance the performance of biopolymeric matrices. The aim ofthis manuscript is to provide an overview regarding the benefits of released active compound-loadednanocarriers in developing sustainable biopolymeric-based active packaging with antimicrobialand antioxidant properties. Nanocarriers improve physical, chemical, and mechanical properties ofthe biopolymeric matrix and increase the bioactivityof released active compounds. Furthermore,challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic and a brief post-COVID-19 scenario were also mentioned.