Theoretical Insights and Practical Developments in Biobased and Biodegradable Materials for Food Packaging
A special issue of Materials (ISSN 1996-1944). This special issue belongs to the section "Green Materials".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 1 April 2026 | Viewed by 89
Special Issue Editors
Interests: food science; biobased and biodegradable films and coatings; smart food packaging; 3D printing; circular economy
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: agroindustrial byproducts; food packaging; biodegradable packaging; 3D printing; smart food packaging
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Food packaging plays a critical role in ensuring food safety, extending shelf life, and reducing loss and waste throughout the supply chain. Given the urgent requirements arising from the circular economy and sustainability goals, there is an increasing emphasis on developing packaging materials that are recyclable, biobased, biodegradable, or compostable. Among these materials, biobased and biodegradable plastics have gained a lot of attention, especially for single-use packaging. This Special Issue invites theoretical and experimental studies as well as comprehensive reviews that address the design, development, characterization, application, and environmental impact of biobased and biodegradable food packaging materials. Topics of interest include the following:
- Innovative materials and technologies for films, labels, foams, and coatings;
- Active and intelligent packaging for food quality and safety;
- Functional performance and shelf life extension of packaged foods;
- Biodegradability and compostability assessment in different environments;
- Life cycle assessment (LCA), environmental footprint, and circular economy strategies in the context of biobased and biodegradable materials for sustainable food packaging solutions;
- Industrial scalability and regulatory aspects of alternative packaging.
We welcome original papers, reviews, and short communications that combine scientific innovation with practical applications and environmental benefits to help promote sustainable food packaging in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Dr. Ana Elizabeth Cavalcante Fai
Guest Editor
Dr. Julia Rabelo Vaz Matheus
Guest Editor Assistant
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. Materials 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 2600 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
- biobased materials
- biodegradable food packaging
- film
- coating
- foams
- active and intelligent food packaging
- smart tags
- sustainable material
- circular economy
- life cycle analysis
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.
