Polymers used as raw materials for synthetic packaging, i.e., those obtained from petroleum-derived sources, are resistant to degradation. Because of this, there is a growing concern in the world for the replacement of conventional packaging by renewable and biodegradable polymers. Polysaccharides are biopolymers commonly used as energy reserve by plants, but they can also be obtained from animals, algae, and microbes; regardless of the origin, their thermoplastic characteristics, renewability, high availability, low extraction cost, biodegradability, and good film-forming properties highlight their promising role as alternatives for this demand in decreasing the production and accumulation of synthetic plastics. This literature review addresses the main characteristics of film-type packaging and polysaccharide-based coatings for the food industry, emphasizing the main techniques used to obtain and characterize them. It is reported that the barrier and mechanical properties of a packaging composed only of polysaccharides are a challenge for the food industry; however, its quality has been improved with the addition of other biomolecules and reinforcement nanostructures. Using antimicrobial and antioxidant compounds to produce bioactive packaging adds value and is particularly favorable for this industrial field; additionally, the development of techniques for the production of polysaccharide packaging on an industrial scale is promising, and increases the competitiveness with those from non-biodegradable polymers. Therefore, films/coatings based on polysaccharides have the potential to minimize the use of materials of petrochemical origin.

用作合成包装原料的聚合物，即从石油衍生来源获得的聚合物，具有抗降解性。正因为如此，世界上越来越关注用可再生和可生物降解的聚合物替代传统包装。多糖是植物常用作为能量储备的生物聚合物，但也可以从动物、藻类和微生物中获得；无论来源如何，它们的热塑性特性、可再生性、高可用性、低提取成本、生物降解性和良好的成膜性能突出了它们在减少合成塑料的生产和积累方面作为这种需求的替代品的巨大潜力。这篇文献综述阐述了食品工业薄膜型包装和多糖涂层的主要特点，强调用于获取和表征它们的主要技术。据报道，仅由多糖组成的包装的阻隔性和机械性能对食品工业来说是一个挑战。然而，随着其他生物分子和增强纳米结构的加入，其质量得到了改善。使用抗菌和抗氧化化合物生产生物活性包装增加了价值，特别有利于这一工业领域；此外，以工业规模生产多糖包装技术的发展前景广阔，并提高了与非生物降解聚合物技术的竞争力。因此，基于多糖的薄膜/涂层有可能最大限度地减少石化原料的使用。