A review on biopolymer-based oil and water-resistant functional paper coating for food packaging

Paper coating is an effective way to improve the various physical and functional properties of the coated paper. Usually, papers are coated or laminated with petrochemical-derived non-biodegradable, nonrecyclable, and toxic polymer materials which pose a growing concern for consumers regarding the use of coated paper in food regimes. In this connection, the use of safer alternatives for synthetic coating polymers is bio-based and renewable polymers. It has been already established that the biopolymers-based coating has shown promising results in improving the water resistance, oil resistance, oil & water barrier, mechanical, thermal, and other properties. Moreover, owing to excellent carrier properties the biopolymer-based coating formulation activated with antimicrobial and antioxidant functional ingredients is highly advantageous in improving the shelf life of packed food. In this review, an overview of bio-based paper coating was discussed. Various paper coating methods were detailed, followed by the fabrication of various types of biodegradable polymer-based coating. Different important properties of biopolymer-based coated paper were comprehensively discussed. Finally, the application of functional coated paper in active food packaging (meat, dairy, fruits, etc.) and intelligent packaging (freshness indicator) were debated. Therefore, an overview of this work provides an up-to-date state-of-the-art on coated paper in food packaging applications.