Effect of Gamma Rays, Electron Beams, and UV Radiation on Biopolymer Films for Food Packaging: A Comprehensive Review

Document Type : Review article

Authors

School of Agricultural Engineering, Shahrood University of Technology, Shahrood, Iran.

10.22103/bbr.2025.25699.1130

Abstract

The escalating demand for sustainable and biodegradable food packaging materials has propelled intensive research into biopolymer-based films derived from polysaccharides and proteins. Radiation processing technologies—including ionizing radiations such as gamma rays and electron beams, alongside non-ionizing ultraviolet (UV) light—have demonstrated significant potential in modulating the physicochemical, mechanical, thermal, antimicrobial, and barrier properties of these biopolymer films. Ionizing radiation facilitates chain scission, crosslinking, and structural rearrangements within polymer matrices, leading to enhanced tensile strength, reduced water uptake, improved crystallinity, and extended shelf-life of packaged foods, while UV irradiation predominantly induces surface photochemical modifications, augmenting hydrophobicity and antimicrobial efficacy without substantially altering chemical functionalities. Synergistic effects are often observed when irradiation is combined with bioactive compounds or nanomaterials, resulting in superior film performance and microbial inhibition; nonetheless, optimizing irradiation parameters is critical to balancing beneficial modifications against potential adverse effects such as color changes, mechanical degradation, or compromised food quality. This review, by uniquely integrating mechanistic insights with comparative analysis of ionizing and non-ionizing radiation, highlights underexplored synergies with bioactive agents and nanomaterials and proposes future directions for dose optimization, intelligent packaging design, and industrial scalability, thereby offering a novel and comprehensive perspective beyond existing reviews on radiation-assisted biopolymer films.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

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Biomechanism and Bioenergy Research
Volume 4, Issue 3 - Serial Number 9
September 2025
Pages 42-67

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  • Receive Date: 03 August 2025
  • Revise Date: 13 September 2025
  • Accept Date: 15 September 2025

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