Edible Functionalized Protein Films and Coatings: Engineering Tomorrow's Sustainable Food Packaging Solutions

Dear Colleagues,

The future of food packaging is shaped by the United Nations’ sustainable development goals (SDGs), including through the innovative use of functionalized proteins to obtain edible packaging. This is becoming a popular choice for perishable food items, preserving both their nutritional value and sensorial characteristics while ensuring food safety. Therefore, a forward-thinking approach to develop eco-friendly and efficient packaging for the food industry is needed.

This Special Issue, Edible Functionalized Protein Films and Coatings: Engineering Tomorrow's Sustainable Food Packaging Solutions, aims to present original research articles and reviews addressing both challenges and strategies for obtaining sustainable whey-based packaging solutions. We invite researchers to submit manuscripts on the following topics and their related areas:

• The development and characterization of sustainable whey-based packaging for improved barrier and mechanical properties;
• Functionalized whey proteins with antimicrobials, antioxidants, or other functional compounds for smart food packaging solutions, emphasizing their mechanism of action;
• Valorization of whey and other by-products in biodegradable packaging based on circular economy principles;
• Biocompatibility between innovative composite whey packaging and different food matrices;
• Generating added value to food stakeholders through innovative whey-based food packaging solutions.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Iulia Bleoanca
Dr. Gabriel Mustatea
Prof. Dr. Anton Ficai
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Applied Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.