Research Advances in Food Packaging Materials
A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Materials Science".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2026 | Viewed by 54
Special Issue Editors
Interests: food microbiology; food safety; environmental microbiology; Escherichia coli; Listeria monocytogenes; polymerase chain reaction; food science and technology; antimicrobials; foodborne
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: biodegradable polymers; polymer nanocomposites; nanoparticles functionalization; functional materials; encapsulation; active packaging
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The growing demand for food packaging materials with functions that go beyond protecting and preserving products has led to the development of various active and/or intelligent systems. These materials are focused on food safety associated with epidemiological outbreaks and controlling the internal environment of the packaging material, thus increasing the shelf life of food. Within this scenario, intelligent/smart packaging that can identify and monitor food quality through their response to the environment in which they are stored or the internal environment of the packaging and provide real-time information to the consumers are also found.
Various efforts have been performed in order to obtain innovative food packaging. The use of natural, bio-based and/or biodegradable polymers and additives are promising approaches to the development of advanced technologies for functional food packaging applications. These approaches are focused on the replacement of those from non-renewable sources and on the reduction in solid waste disposal that led to detrimental effects on the environment. The most recent food packaging materials include features such as maintaining integrity against external factors such as oxygen and humidity, ultraviolet radiation protection, and antimicrobial and antioxidant activity, as well as the presence of pH or temperature indicators.
This Special Issue aims to gather high-quality original research and review articles focused on the development, characterization, and application of active, intelligent, and sustainable food packaging systems. The issue will address emerging strategies involving biodegradable, bio-based, and renewable materials designed to improve food safety, extend shelf life, reduce food waste, and minimize environmental impacts associated with conventional petroleum-based packaging.
The Special Issue is closely aligned with the journal’s scope as it explores innovative materials, technologies, and functional systems for food packaging applications, including antimicrobial and antioxidant packaging, smart indicators and sensors, barrier properties enhancement, and environmentally friendly polymeric materials. The issue also covers interdisciplinary advances involving materials science, food engineering, biotechnology, nanotechnology, and sustainability, which are central themes within contemporary food packaging research.
The objective is to provide a comprehensive platform for researchers, scientists, and industry professionals to disseminate recent advances and future perspectives related to functional food packaging technologies capable of responding to current challenges in food preservation, safety, quality monitoring, and environmental sustainability.
In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but not limited to) the following:
- Active food packaging systems;
- Intelligent and smart packaging technologies;
- Bio-based and biodegradable polymers for food packaging;
- Sustainable and eco-friendly packaging materials;
- Antimicrobial and antioxidant packaging;
- Natural additives and bioactive compounds in packaging;
- Nanotechnology applications in food packaging;
- Edible films and coatings;
- pH, gas, freshness, and temperature indicators;
- Oxygen and moisture barrier enhancement;
- UV-protective packaging materials;
- Packaging for shelf-life extension;
- Food safety monitoring systems;
- Circular economy and sustainable packaging solutions;
- Recycling and compostability of packaging materials;
- Advanced characterization techniques for packaging systems;
- Consumer perception and regulatory aspects of smart packaging;
- Industrial scalability and commercialization of functional packaging.
We look forward to receiving your contributions.
Dr. Marília Miotto
Prof. Dr. Larissa Nardini Carli
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. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. 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 food packaging
- intelligent packaging
- smart packaging
- biodegradable polymers
- bio-based materials
- food safety
- antimicrobial packaging
- antioxidant packaging
- sustainable packaging
- shelf-life extension
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