Application and Safety of Edible Films and Coatings in Food Packaging

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 July 2026 | Viewed by 1016

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
1. South African Research Chairs Initiative in Sustainable Preservation and Agroprocessing Research, Faculty of Science, University of Johannesburg, P.O. Box 524, Auckland Park, Johannesburg 2006, South Africa
2. Postharvest and Agroprocessing Research Centre, Department of Botany and Plant Biotechnology, University of Johannesburg, P.O. Box 524, Auckland Park, Johannesburg 2006, South Africa
Interests: food packaging technology; food chemistry; edible films and coatings; sustainable development goals; nanotechnology; materials science; shelf-life extension; biological studies; valorization of agro-waste; agro-waste water purification

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Guest Editor
UCD Institute of Food and Health, School of Agriculture and Food Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
Interests: new food grade encapsulation and delivery systems; incorporation of biologically active phytochemicals in food matrices; food preservation
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to extend an invitation for contributions to this Special Issue of Foods titled “Application and Safety of Edible Films and Coatings in Food Packaging.” The pursuit of innovative and sustainable packaging solutions has positioned edible films and coatings at the forefront of food science and technology. These materials, derived from natural biopolymers such as polysaccharides, proteins, and lipids, offer biodegradable alternatives to conventional plastics and provide functional advantages, including enhanced food quality, prolonged shelf life, and controlled release of bioactive compounds. Their integration into contemporary food systems supports global initiatives aimed at reducing plastic waste and promoting circular economy practices. Nevertheless, challenges persist concerning safety, regulatory approval, consumer acceptance, and large-scale implementation. This Special Issue of Foods seeks to highlight cutting-edge research and reviews focused on the development, application, and safety of edible films and coatings in food packaging. We particularly welcome studies addressing, but not limited to, material innovations, the incorporation of active ingredients such as bioactive compounds and nanoparticles, safety assessments, industrial scalability, and sustainability impacts, thereby bridging scientific advancements with practical applications.

Dr. Jerry O. Adeyemi
Dr. Jean-Christophe Jacquier
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • edible films and coatings
  • sustainable food packaging
  • biopolymers
  • active packaging
  • shelf-life extension
  • nanotechnology
  • food preservation
  • safety evaluation
  • consumer acceptance
  • regulatory frameworks

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

26 pages, 5007 KB  
Article
Preliminary Investigation on Mandarin Peel Extraction and Development of Functionalized Chitosan-Guar Gum Edible Films Using Response Surface Methodology (RSM)
by Miriam Arianna Boninsegna, Slaven Jurić, Amalia Piscopo, Marko Vuković, Zaixiang Lou and Luna Maslov Bandic
Foods 2026, 15(5), 803; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods15050803 - 24 Feb 2026
Viewed by 681
Abstract
Every year worldwide, citrus processing generates large volumes of by-products, often wasted, although rich in bioactive compounds. In this study, mandarin peel (Citrus reticulata) was used as a source of functional compounds for the development of guar gum/chitosan functionalized edible films. [...] Read more.
Every year worldwide, citrus processing generates large volumes of by-products, often wasted, although rich in bioactive compounds. In this study, mandarin peel (Citrus reticulata) was used as a source of functional compounds for the development of guar gum/chitosan functionalized edible films. The response surface methodology was used for both bioactive extraction and edible film formulation. For extraction, the optimization focused on extraction time, solvent composition (acetone/water ratio), and solvent/solid ratio, while for edible film, the guar gum/chitosan ratio, glycerol content, and mandarin peel extract concentration were selected as critical formulation variables. The predictive models exhibited high statistical significance (p < 0.05), adequate predictive ability, and good consistency of predicted and experimental values. The extraction optimization allowed significant results in total polyphenols (329.59 mg GAE/g), flavonoids (42.6 mg QE/g), and total carotenoids (1.53 mg/g) associated with significant antioxidant activity. Mandarin peel bioactive compounds integrated into composite edible film resulted in excellent functional properties in terms of swelling index (65.83%), water absorption (65.48%), weight loss (41.91%) and visual appearance (L* 89.30). These findings support formulating chitosan–guar gum films with mandarin peel bioactives, advancing biopolymer-based approaches toward next-generation sustainable packaging. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application and Safety of Edible Films and Coatings in Food Packaging)
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