SHARUMITHA Murugan^1,a and NOR HAKIMIN Abdullah^1,b,*

¹Faculty of Bioengineering and Technology, Universiti Malaysia Kelantan, 17600 Jeli, Kelantan, Malaysia

^asharumithamurugan11@gmail.com, ^bnorhakimin@umk.edu.my

Abstract. The functional properties of food packaging materials can be significantly improved by the incorporation of nanofillers into a polymer matrix in polymer nanocomposites. The mechanical, barrier, and antimicrobial properties of food packaging materials are enhanced by the incorporation of a variety of nanofillers into polymer matrices, as this review explores the most recent developments in this field. Incorporating nanofillers, including clay, carbon nanotubes, graphene oxide, and metal oxide nanoparticles, into polymer matrices has been demonstrated to significantly improve the thermal stability, gas barrier properties, and mechanical properties of food packaging materials. Additionally, the integration of antimicrobial agents into nanocomposites can offer supplementary protection against microbial spoilage. This review will discuss the various types of nanofillers, their properties, and their impact on the performance of food packaging materials. The challenges and future trends in the development of polymer nanocomposites for food packaging applications will also be discussed.

Keywords: Polymer nanocomposites, antimicrobial properties, mechanical properties, nanofillers