Agar-Based Films

Packaging plays an important role in maintaining food quality. With the use of plastic being phased out, new materials are needed for packaging as well as to support other purposes as plastic and their related materials were performing these functions. Agar-based films present a potential solution to meet the increased demand for new material needed to replace plastic in the food packaging industry. Although agar is not a new material, it is an alternative option for food packaging that can be sustainably produced. Agar is already widely used in scientific research and as a good ingredient. However, on its own, agar has little applications due to its brittleness, high moisture permeability, and poor thermal stability. Recent research in the development of new agar-based films revealed that the properties of the altered materials can be improved through the addition of essential oil, phytochemicals, metals, nanoparticles, or a combination of those. This chapter reviews the most recent development in the manufacture, new development, and use of agar-based films.