New Advances in Edible Coating and Their Application in Food Preservation and Shelf Life

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2025 | Viewed by 325

Special Issue Editors


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
National Institute of Health Doutor Ricardo Jorge, Avenida Padre Cruz, 1649-016 Lisboa, Portugal
Interests: innovative packaging systems; active and intelligent packaging; sustainable packaging solutions; nanomaterials for food; biopolymer-based packaging; plastic packaging technologies; functional coatings; controlled release systems; nano-encapsulation of natural compounds; environmental impact of packaging materials

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This special edition aims to consolidate innovative investigations focused on developing and applying edible coatings for food preservation. Edible coatings have presented remarkable potential in regard to prolonging the shelf life of food products, diminishing quality degradation, and mitigating food waste.

Our objective is to underscore novel formulations and application methodologies, encompassing the utilization of biopolymers, bioactive compounds, and nanotechnology. Additionally, contributions examining the mechanisms of action, influence on sensory and nutritional quality, and food safety are encouraged.

We invite researchers to submit empirical studies, critical reviews, and sustainable methodologies that foster the integration of these coatings within the food industry. This edition aspires to contribute significantly towards advancing effective and environmentally sustainable solutions.

This Special Issue invites papers in the following areas:

  • Optimization of the formulation of Edible Coatings (they can be based on Polysaccharides, proteins, or lipids);
  • Enhanced mechanical and barrier properties of edible coatings (e.g., due to the use of nanomaterials);
  • Incorporation of bioactive compounds (e.g., antioxidants, antimicrobials, probiotics, prebiotics) in edible coating;
  • Extension of food shelf life due to the application of edible coatings;
  • Advances in the release of active agents from coatings: encapsulation of bioactive compounds and release of compounds in response to environmental conditions;
  • Regulatory aspects of coatings and consumer acceptance.

Dr. Fernanda Vilarinho
Dr. Ana Teresa Sanches-Silva
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.

Keywords

  • food packaging
  • edible coatings
  • biopolymers
  • nanomaterials
  • bioactive compounds
  • antioxidants
  • antimicrobials
  • active packaging
  • shelf-life extension
  • encapsulation

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (1 paper)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

17 pages, 1991 KB  
Article
pH-Sensitive Cassava Starch/Onion Peel Powder Films as Colorimetric Indicators for Minced Beef Freshness Monitoring
by Assala Torche, Toufik Chouana, Ibtissem Sanah, Fairouz Djeghim, Esma Anissa Trad Khodja, Katiba Mezreb, Redouan Elboutachfaiti, Cedric Delattre, Maria D’Elia and Luca Rastrelli
Foods 2025, 14(17), 2974; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14172974 - 26 Aug 2025
Abstract
pH-sensitive intelligent films offer a novel strategy for real-time monitoring of food freshness via visible color changes. This study valorizes onion peel powder (OPP), a polyphenol-rich agro-industrial by-product, by incorporating it into cassava starch-based films at three concentrations (1O, 2O, 3O). Increasing OPP [...] Read more.
pH-sensitive intelligent films offer a novel strategy for real-time monitoring of food freshness via visible color changes. This study valorizes onion peel powder (OPP), a polyphenol-rich agro-industrial by-product, by incorporating it into cassava starch-based films at three concentrations (1O, 2O, 3O). Increasing OPP content led to significantly higher total phenolic and flavonoid levels, enhancing the films’ antioxidant properties (p < 0.0001). While the films exhibited selective antibacterial effects, pronounced inhibition zones were observed against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli, two relevant meat spoilage and pathogenic bacteria. The films displayed clear and gradual color shifts from light to dark brown across a wide pH range (1–13), confirming their suitability as pH indicators. When applied as labels in minced beef packaging stored at 4 °C, the films successfully tracked freshness over 13 days. Film color changes were strongly correlated with microbial load and pH variations, accurately flagging spoilage onset. These findings support the potential of cassava starch/OPP films as biodegradable, cost-effective intelligent packaging tools, contributing to food safety, waste reduction, and circular bioeconomy principles. The system provides a practical, non-invasive solution for meat freshness monitoring without requiring instrumentation. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop