Advanced Packaging Materials for Food Safety, Storage and Transport

A special issue of Foods (ISSN 2304-8158). This special issue belongs to the section "Food Packaging and Preservation".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 October 2023) | Viewed by 6476

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Food Science & Engineering, Jinan University, Huangpu West Avenue 601, Guangzhou 510632, China
Interests: food packaging technology; food safety; food storage and preservation

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Guest Editor
Department of Food Science & Engineering, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
Interests: functional carbohydrates; food packaging
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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Guest Editor
Institute of Food Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, No. 2 Yuanmingyuan West Rd., Haidian District, Beijing 100193, China
Interests: active packaging for food preservation; non-intentionally added substances (NIAS) in food contact materials

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Food packaging is of vital importance in preserving food throughout the supply chain. Without packaging, the quality and safety of food may be compromised by physical, chemical, and biological contaminants in direct contact with food. Recently, the rapid development of nanotechnology and material science has brought opportunities for the production of advanced packaging materials with unique characteristics and diverse functionalities. Such materials can fulfill the rising demand for safe and high-quality food with an extended shelf life. Eventually, the value of food products will be increased.

This Special Issue focuses on the recent progress in advanced packaging materials, including the design and production of the materials, and their impact on food safety, storage, and transport. We welcome original research papers and review articles addressing the following areas:

  • Active packaging
  • Intelligent packaging
  • Edible packaging
  • Biodegradable packaging
  • Nanocomposite packaging
  • High-barrier packaging
  • Modified atmosphere packaging
  • Other novel packaging materials

Prof. Dr. Changying Hu
Dr. Wenwen Yu
Dr. Yining Xia
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 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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. Foods 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 2900 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.

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

12 pages, 5450 KiB  
Article
Biodegradable Poly(butylene succinate) Laminate with Nanocellulose Interphase Layer for High-Barrier Packaging Film Application
by Martins Nabels-Sneiders, Anda Barkane, Oskars Platnieks, Liga Orlova and Sergejs Gaidukovs
Foods 2023, 12(22), 4136; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12224136 - 15 Nov 2023
Viewed by 1213
Abstract
In response to rising concerns over the environmental and human health ramifications of polymers derived from petroleum, particularly in the food packaging industry, research has pivoted towards more sustainable materials. Poly(butylene succinate) (PBS), selected as the polymer matrix, stands out as one of [...] Read more.
In response to rising concerns over the environmental and human health ramifications of polymers derived from petroleum, particularly in the food packaging industry, research has pivoted towards more sustainable materials. Poly(butylene succinate) (PBS), selected as the polymer matrix, stands out as one of the most promising bio-based and biodegradable polymers suitable for film blowing and lamination. A layered spray-coating technique was employed to apply 1, 5, 10, and 20 layers of nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC) between blown PBS films, creating a three-layer laminate structure. NFC sourced from minimally processed hemp stalk waste highlights the potential for minimizing environmental impact. The water vapor transmission rate (WVTR) of these films, a critical parameter for food packaging, was assessed in a controlled environment at 38 °C and 90% relative humidity over a period of two months. The integration of a single NFC layer, constituting 0.35% of the composite’s weight, was observed to significantly reduce the WVTR by up to 5.5-fold. It was noted that higher NFC layer counts above 10 reduced the adhesion within the laminate layers. Morphological assessments showed that the number of structural defects increased with a higher count of NFC layers. As the count of NFC layers increased, the optical transparency of the laminates dropped from approximately 65% to 25% in the visible light spectrum. Notably, by weight percent, NFC proved to be an effective barrier even without chemical modification. The developed laminates stand out as a viable, green option for food packaging, offering a sustainable and renewable solution. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Packaging Materials for Food Safety, Storage and Transport)
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16 pages, 2566 KiB  
Article
Sugarcane Pulp Take-Out Containers Produce More Microparticles in Acidic Foods
by Yi Hu, Chun-Ru Mo, Zhi-Wei Wang, Wen-Wen Yu and Chang-Ying Hu
Foods 2023, 12(13), 2496; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12132496 - 27 Jun 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1061
Abstract
In the current study, the production of microparticles released from fifteen commercial sugarcane pulp (SCP) take-out containers into different food simulants under different conditions was investigated, where deionized water (DI water), 4% acetic acid (4% HAc), and 95% ethanol (95% EtOH) were used [...] Read more.
In the current study, the production of microparticles released from fifteen commercial sugarcane pulp (SCP) take-out containers into different food simulants under different conditions was investigated, where deionized water (DI water), 4% acetic acid (4% HAc), and 95% ethanol (95% EtOH) were used to simulate aqueous, acidic, and fatty foods, respectively. Results showed that compared with DI water and 95% EtOH, 4% HAc caused the degradation of sugarcane fibers, thereby releasing the highest number of microparticles. The overall migration values of the sugarcane pulp take-out containers in 4% HAc were above the prescribed limit of 10 mg/dm2. Furthermore, it was estimated that consumers may intake 36,400–231,700 microparticles in a take-out container at one time, of which the proportion of particles with a particle size between 10 and 500 μm was the highest, ranging from 26,470 to 216,060 items. Moreover, the Al and Fe are the main metals in these take-out containers, ranging between 35.16 and 1244.04 and 44.71 and 398.52 mg/kg, respectively, followed by Pb, Ti, and Sr. This study provides important information that the safety of both the production of microparticles and the metallic elements should be considered for SCP take-out containers when in contact with food. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Packaging Materials for Food Safety, Storage and Transport)
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14 pages, 12816 KiB  
Article
Development and Characterization of Films with Propolis to Inhibit Mold Contamination in the Dairy Industry
by Romina L. Abarca, Francisco Vargas, Javiera Medina, Juan Carlos Paredes, Bernardo Carrillo López, Pablo A. Ortiz and Einar Vargas-Bello-Pérez
Foods 2023, 12(8), 1633; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12081633 - 13 Apr 2023
Viewed by 1438
Abstract
Due to the number of polyphenols with multiple biological activities, propolis has high potential to be used as an active agent in food protective films. Therefore, this study aimed to develop and characterize a sodium alginate film with ethanolic extract of propolis (EEP) [...] Read more.
Due to the number of polyphenols with multiple biological activities, propolis has high potential to be used as an active agent in food protective films. Therefore, this study aimed to develop and characterize a sodium alginate film with ethanolic extract of propolis (EEP) for its potential use as protective active packaging against filamentous fungi in ripened cheese. Three different concentrations of EEP were analyzed: 0, 5 and 10% w/v. The films obtained were characterized, assessing thermal and physicochemical properties, as well as the concentration of polyphenols in the EEP and antifungal activity of the active films. The incorporation of EEP in the films generated thermal stability with respect to the loss of mass. Total color values (ΔE) of the films were affected by the incorporation of the different concentrations of EEP, showing a decrease in luminosity (L*) of the films, while the chromatic parameters a* and b* increased in direct proportion to the EEP concentration. Antifungal activity was observed with a fungistatic mode of action, stopping the growth of the fungus in cheeses without development of filamentous molds, thus increasing the shelf life of the ripened cheese under the analytical conditions, over 30 days at room temperature. Overall, EEP can be used to prevent growth and proliferation of spoilage microorganisms in cheese. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Packaging Materials for Food Safety, Storage and Transport)
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16 pages, 2568 KiB  
Article
Elucidation of Non-Intentionally Added Substances from Plant Fiber/Plastic Composites by UPLC-QTOF/MS
by Hong Zhang, Qi-Zhi Su, Gui-Qin Shang, Yun-Xuan Weng and Lei Zhu
Foods 2023, 12(3), 678; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12030678 - 03 Feb 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1828
Abstract
Plant fiber/plastic composites (PPCs) have been widely used in food contact materials (FCMs) for many benefits, such as their claimed better environmental footprint compared to conventional plastics. However, their safety is still not fully understood and must be comprehensively evaluated. Non-volatiles extracted from [...] Read more.
Plant fiber/plastic composites (PPCs) have been widely used in food contact materials (FCMs) for many benefits, such as their claimed better environmental footprint compared to conventional plastics. However, their safety is still not fully understood and must be comprehensively evaluated. Non-volatiles extracted from six PPCs with different plant fibers and polymer matrices were characterized by employing ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry in combination with various spectral libraries and manual elucidation, taking into account spectral similarity and characteristic product ions. A total of 115 compounds were tentatively identified, 50 of which were oligomers or their derivatives from the sample with polylactic acid (PLA) and polybutylene adipate terephthalate (PBAT) as the polymer matrix, and some of them were Cramer rules class III substances based on the threshold of toxicological concern (TTC). Seven reaction products between PLA and PBAT monomers, as well as four derivatives of melamine, were elucidated and well detailed for the first time. In addition, bisphenol S was detected in all samples even though its origin remains to be further explored. Isoprothiolane, as an insecticide and fungicide used to control a range of rice pests, was identified in the sample with rice husk as fillers, experimentally confirming the presence of agrochemicals in samples containing plant fibers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Packaging Materials for Food Safety, Storage and Transport)
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