Advanced Active and Intelligent Packaging Systems for the Preservation of Fresh Produce
A special issue of Foods (ISSN 2304-8158). This special issue belongs to the section "Food Packaging and Preservation".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 14 November 2026 | Viewed by 411
Editors
Interests: food packaging; food preservation; food processing
Interests: food processing and storage; food preservation; green packaging
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Fresh products—including fruits, vegetables, meat, poultry, aquatic products, edible fungi, and other perishable commodities—are highly susceptible to deteriorations in quality during post-harvest handling, storage, and distribution. Conventional passive packaging, while essential, is increasingly insufficient to address the growing demands for extended shelf life, reduced food loss, and enhanced supply chain transparency. In response, advanced active and intelligent packaging systems are emerging as transformative technologies that reconfigure packaging from a static barrier into a dynamic, responsive platform. These systems not only actively extend self-life and preserve sensory and nutritional quality, but also enable the real-time communication of the product’s status throughout the supply chain.
This Special Issue aims to publish high-quality original research and comprehensive review articles that highlight recent advancements in the active and intelligent packaging technologies specifically designed for the preservation of fresh products. In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include, but not limited to, the following:
- Moisture regulators, ethylene scavengers, oxygen absorbers, and carbon dioxide emitters;
- Antimicrobial and antioxidant packaging films and coatings;
- Modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) with tunable or intelligent permeability;
- Freshness and spoilage indicators, or time–temperature integrators (TTIs);
- Novel active and intelligent packaging materials, including bio-based, biodegradable, and edible systems;
- Nanotechnology-enabled functional materials;
- Stimuli-responsive and controlled release systems.
We particularly encourage submissions that address emerging and interdisciplinary frontiers, such as sustainable and circular packaging solutions, intelligent-responsive materials, and the integration of packaging innovations with post-harvest physiology and food engineering. Studies that bridge the gap between laboratory research and industrial applications are especially welcome.
Prof. Dr. Fei Lu
Prof. Dr. Li Li
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-anonymized 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.
Keywords
- active packaging
- intelligent packaging
- fresh products
- shelf-life extension
- antimicrobial and antioxidant film
- ethylene scavenger
- freshness indicator
- time–temperature integrator
- stimuli-responsive and controlled release system
- biodegradable packaging
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