Sustainable Smart and Active Food Coatings and Packaging
A special issue of Coatings (ISSN 2079-6412). This special issue belongs to the section "Coatings for Food Technology and System".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2026 | Viewed by 6
Special Issue Editors
Interests: antimicrobial agents; antimicrobial coatings; active/intelligent packaging; biodegradable polymer; biomaterials; Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD)
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: bio-based chemicals; circular bioeconomy; food packaging; sustainable food systems; biorefinery; lignocellulosic biomass; nanocellulose; green extraction; biodegradable materials
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Ensuring food safety, reducing waste, and extending the shelf life of perishable products are urgent global priorities that continue to shape the future of the food industry. In recent years, food packaging has evolved far beyond its conventional passive role. Modern systems are increasingly designed to interact with the food environment, actively maintaining quality while intelligently communicating real-time information about product freshness, spoilage, or contamination. This transformation has been driven by breakthroughs in sustainable materials science, nanotechnology, active agent delivery systems, and next-generation sensing technologies.
This Special Issue, Sustainable Smart and Active Food Coatings and Packaging, aims to highlight cutting-edge research and technological advances that integrate sustainability with enhanced functionality in food packaging and coatings. With increasing regulatory and societal pressure to transition away from fossil-derived plastics, bio-based and biodegradable materials have emerged as promising alternatives. Concurrent developments in nanoscale sensors, natural colorimetric indicators, antimicrobial and antioxidant systems, and multifunctional edible coatings have enabled packaging to play a more proactive role in food preservation and safety.
We welcome high-quality research articles, reviews, and case studies that address innovations across materials development, functionalisation, sensing mechanisms, safety assessment, environmental impact, and real-world applications. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Novel bio-based polymers, films, and coatings for sustainable food packaging;
- Encapsulation, stabilisation, and controlled release of antimicrobial and antioxidant agents;
- Development of nanosensors, biosensors, and colorimetric/fluorescent indicators for freshness or spoilage detection;
- Edible coatings with functional, nutritional, or barrier-enhancing properties;
- Life cycle assessment, biodegradability, and environmental performance of sustainable packaging solutions;
- Safety, regulatory considerations, migration behaviour, and consumer acceptance of smart and active packaging;
- Pilot-scale demonstrations, industrial case studies, and applications across diverse food categories (meat, dairy, fresh produce, bakery, ready-to-eat foods).
This Special Issue provides a multidisciplinary platform that brings together experts from food science, materials engineering, microbiology, nanotechnology, and sustainability research to advance the next generation of intelligent and eco-friendly food packaging systems.
We look forward to receiving your valuable contributions.
Dr. Swarna Jaiswal
Dr. Amit K. Jaiswal
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. Coatings is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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 2600 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.
Keywords
- smart food packaging
- bio-based films
- edible coatings
- antimicrobial materials
- biodegradable polymers
- colorimetric indicators
- freshness sensors
- spoilage detection
- food preservation
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