Bioactive Molecules in Sustainable Food Packaging: From Natural Sources to Functional Materials
A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Materials Chemistry".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2026 | Viewed by 432
Editor
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Bioactive molecules derived from natural sources such as plants and food waste are transforming sustainable food packaging by enabling the development of functional, biodegradable materials. When applied in real food scenarios, these materials could enhance food safety and extend shelf life through their inherent antioxidant and antimicrobial properties, offering environmentally friendly alternatives to conventional plastic packaging. However, during the production of materials, many changes occur. It is therefore of great importance to master all steps of this challenging process. Raw materials might have inherent functionality, but if not well tailored, their functionality is lost. Active compounds might be included in biopolymers, often prioritized in recent times, and in more conventional materials. Moreover, following “zero-waste” principles, residual matrices can be used to create eco-friendly biocomposite materials, with major differences in their availability and degradability. In this context, we must not forget the possibility of scaling up. Biopolymers such as chitosan, cellulose, gelatine, and starch are often used in conjunction with other technologies, including nanotechnology, to improve mechanical, barrier, and active properties. These innovations support a circular economy through the valorization of agricultural and food-processing waste.
In this Special Issue, we will focus on studies that aim to improve material properties through the incorporation of natural active compounds. The influence of such incorporation on various material properties will be considered.
This issue aims to present and disseminate the most recent advances related to the development and characterization of functional materials for food packaging. We will consider contributions that address their functionality with an emphasis on their applications.
Topics of interest for publication include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Sustainable sources of bioactive compounds for potential application in the field of new materials;
- Edible functional polymers and their application;
- Safety assessment to address matters of health;
- Stability of active compounds during processing of materials;
- Controlled-release issues;
- Compatibility with packaging matrices (e.g., poor dispersion, phase separation, weak interfacial bonding, integrity, mechanical and barrier performance).
Dr. Mia Kurek
Guest Editor
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Keywords
- functional food packaging materials
- controlled release
- stability of active compounds
- scalability
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