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Molecules
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Advanced Materials, Technologies, and Innovations in Food Packaging towards Sustainability
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Advanced Materials, Technologies, and Innovations in Food Packaging towards Sustainability

A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Food Chemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2024 | Viewed by 3968

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Lopéz de Dicastillo Carol

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Packaging Laboratory, Institute of Agrochemistry and Food Technology (IATA-CSIC), Paterna, Spain
Interests: food packaging; polymer; nanotechnology; recycling; biodegradable; active packaging
Dr. Eliezer Velásquez

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Packaging Innovation Center (LABEN), University of Santiago of Chile (USACH), Santiago, Chile
Interests: polymeric materials; active packaging; plastics recycling; nanocomposites; product packaging
Dr. Adrián Rojas

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Center for the Development of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (CEDENNA), University of Santiago of Chile (USACH), Santiago 9170201, Chile
Interests: active packaging; supercritical fluids; release kinetics; mass transfer; electrospinning; supercritical impregnation; thermal properties
Prof. Dr. Pilar Hernandez-Munoz

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Agrochemistry and Food Technology (IATA-CSIC), Valencia, Spain
Interests: active polymers for food packaging applications; antimicrobial polymers; renewable materials
Prof. Dr. Rafael José Gavara

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Agrochemistry and Food Technology (IATA-CSIC), Valencia, Spain
Interests: food packaging materials, food/packaging interactions, and food packaging technologies

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Packaging is a key technology for the conservation of food products, since it covers their handling, distribution, storage and consumption. Each food requires a proper packaging with specific physical properties depending on its characteristics and deterioration processes. Over the last two decades, the most used packaging material has been plastic thanks to its numerous benefits. However, the inadequate management of plastic residues is causing serious environmental pollution and the loss of valuable resources. Thus, the main challenge in the area of food packaging is changing the nature of packaging production towards a sustainable system focused in a circular economy. Strategies and regulations at the European and global levels are focused on the search for sustainable materials, technologies and processes in order to reduce food losses, the revaluation of waste and the circularity of products. Meeting sustainability and designing innovative food packaging systems that extend food shelf life are two of the main challenges currently facing the value chain of the food packaging sector, and innovative research around them are open for submission to this Special Issue.

Thus, the subject coverage of the current Special Issue will be very broad, and will be related to innovative materials, technologies and/or processes in food packaging towards a circular economy, the ability to reduce food loss, the revaluation of waste and the sustainability of packaging materials.

This Special Issue will cover new developments in the synthesis, characterization, and applications of polymers and other sustainable materials, such as paperboard, advances in recycling processes and recycled materials, research on biodegradable polymers and biodegradation processes, the search for new sources of biopolymers and packaging systems that reduce food losses, such as active and intelligent packaging, etc.}.

Therefore, we invite researchers/Ph.D. students and scientists from the international research community to submit their unpublished original research articles, short communications, letters, and reviews that cover these topics; we are open to proposing new topics related to sustainability and circular economy.

Dr. Lopéz de Dicastillo Carol
Dr. Velásquez Eliezer
Dr. Adrián Rojas
Prof. Dr. Pilar Hernandez-Munoz
Prof. Dr. Rafael José Gavara
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. Molecules 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 2700 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
  • edible polymers
  • biopolymers
  • bio-based polymers
  • biodegradable polymers
  • recyclable polymers
  • recycled polymers
  • natural additives

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

25 pages, 5496 KiB  
Article
Microbiological and Physicochemical Evaluation of Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose (HPMC) and Propolis Film Coatings for Cheese Preservation
by Vanessa B. Paula, Luís G. Dias and Letícia M. Estevinho
Molecules 2024, 29(9), 1941; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29091941 - 24 Apr 2024
Viewed by 262
Abstract
Dairy products are highly susceptible to contamination from microorganisms. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) and propolis film as protective coatings for cheese. For this, microbiological analyses were carried out over the cheese’ ripening period, focusing on total [...] Read more.
Dairy products are highly susceptible to contamination from microorganisms. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) and propolis film as protective coatings for cheese. For this, microbiological analyses were carried out over the cheese’ ripening period, focusing on total mesophilic bacteria, yeasts and moulds, lactic acid bacteria, total coliforms, Escherichia coli, and Enterobacteriaceae. Physicochemical parameters (pH, water activity, colour, phenolic compounds content) were also evaluated. The statistical analysis (conducted using ANOVA and PERMANOVA) showed a significant interaction term between the HPMC film and propolis (factor 1) and storage days (factor 2) with regard to the dependent variables: microbiological and physicochemical parameters. A high level of microbial contamination was identified at the baseline. However, the propolis films were able to reduce the microbial count. Physicochemical parameters also varied with storage time, with no significant differences found for propolis-containing films. Overall, the addition of propolis to the film influenced the cheeses’ colour and the quantification of phenolic compounds. Regarding phenolic compounds, their loss was verified during storage, and was more pronounced in films with a higher percentage of propolis. The study also showed that, of the three groups of phenolic compounds (hydroxybenzoic acids, hydroxycinnamic acids, and flavonoids), hydroxycinnamic acids showed the most significant losses. Overall, this study reveals the potential of using HPMC/propolis films as a coating for cheese in terms of microbiological control and the preservation of physicochemical properties. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Materials, Technologies, and Innovations in Food Packaging towards Sustainability)
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14 pages, 2432 KiB  
Article
Agro-Industrial Protein Waste and Co-Products Valorization for the Development of Bioplastics: Thermoprocessing and Characterization of Feather Keratin/Gliadin Blends
by Carol López-de-Dicastillo, Joaquín Gómez-Estaca, Gracia López-Carballo, Rafael Gavara and Pilar Hernández-Muñoz
Molecules 2023, 28(21), 7350; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28217350 - 30 Oct 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 757
Abstract
Biopolymers based on plant and animal proteins are interesting alternatives in the development of films with future prospects as food packaging. Considering that in recent years there has been an increasing interest in the valorization of agro-industrial residues and by-products and that the [...] Read more.
Biopolymers based on plant and animal proteins are interesting alternatives in the development of films with future prospects as food packaging. Considering that in recent years there has been an increasing interest in the valorization of agro-industrial residues and by-products and that the blending of polymers can lead to materials with improved properties, in this work, keratin-rich feather fibers and gliadins were blended at different ratios in order to develop sustainable and biodegradable films. Control gliadin G100, feather F100 films, and their blends at 3:1 (G75F25), 2:2 (G50F50), and 1:3 (G25F75) ratios were successfully developed through thermoprocessing. The physical properties were differentiated as a function of the concentration of both polymeric matrices. Although gliadins showed higher hydrophilicity as confirmed by their highest swelling degree, films with high gliadin ratios exhibited lower water vapor permeability values at low and medium relative humidities. On the other hand, the feather fiber-based films displayed the highest Young’s modulus values and provided an oxygen barrier to the blends, principally at the highest relative humidity. In conclusion, the blend of these protein-based polymers at different ratio resulted in interesting composites whose physical properties could be adjusted. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Materials, Technologies, and Innovations in Food Packaging towards Sustainability)
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16 pages, 5348 KiB  
Article
Evaluation the Potential of Onion/Laponite Composites Films for Sustainable Food Packaging with Enhanced UV Protection and Antioxidant Capacity
by Maciel L. Barbosa, Leticia M. de Oliveira, Robert Paiva, Alessandra C. Dametto, Diogenes dos S. Dias, Clovis A. Ribeiro, Magdalena Wrona, Cristina Nerín, Hernane da S. Barud and Sandra A. Cruz
Molecules 2023, 28(19), 6829; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28196829 - 27 Sep 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 941
Abstract
Agro-industrial residues have attracted attention for their applications in the field of biodegradable packaging. Recently, our research group has developed onion-based films with promising properties for this type of application due to their non-toxicity, biocompatibility and biodegradability. Therefore, in this study, we investigated [...] Read more.
Agro-industrial residues have attracted attention for their applications in the field of biodegradable packaging. Recently, our research group has developed onion-based films with promising properties for this type of application due to their non-toxicity, biocompatibility and biodegradability. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the effect of Laponite clay concentration on the physicochemical and antioxidant properties of the onion-based films, which were prepared by a casting method. The XRD and FTIR data confirm the presence of the mineral clay in the onion-based films. These findings are consistent with those obtained from FE-SEM analysis, which revealed the presence of typical Laponite grains. In terms of wettability, the results show that the clay decreases the hydrophilic character of the material but slightly increases the water vapor permeation. Optical characterization revealed that the materials exhibited zero transmittance in the UV region and increased opacity in the visible region for composites containing 5% and 10% Laponite. Furthermore, the antioxidant test demonstrated higher antioxidant potential in the composites compared to the pure films. Consequently, these results suggest that the formation of Laponite and onion composites could be an essential strategy for developing natural polymers in the field of food contact packaging. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Materials, Technologies, and Innovations in Food Packaging towards Sustainability)
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16 pages, 2751 KiB  
Article
Nanoemulsion-Based Multilayer Films for Ground Beef Preservation: Antimicrobial Activity and Physicochemical Properties
by Fatemeh Baghi, Sami Ghnimi, Emilie Dumas, Nour-Eddine Chihib and Adem Gharsallaoui
Molecules 2023, 28(11), 4274; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28114274 - 23 May 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1434
Abstract
This study aimed to improve the physical, mechanical, and biological properties of a monolayer pectin (P) film containing nanoemulsified trans-Cinnamaldehyde (TC) by incorporating it between inner and outer layers of ethylcellulose (EC). The nanoemulsion had an average size of 103.93 nm and [...] Read more.
This study aimed to improve the physical, mechanical, and biological properties of a monolayer pectin (P) film containing nanoemulsified trans-Cinnamaldehyde (TC) by incorporating it between inner and outer layers of ethylcellulose (EC). The nanoemulsion had an average size of 103.93 nm and a zeta potential of −46 mV. The addition of the nanoemulsion increased the opacity of the film, reduced its moisture absorption capacity, and improved its antimicrobial activity. However, the tensile strength and elongation at break of the pectin films decreased after the incorporation of nanoemulsions. Multilayer films (EC/P/EC) showed a higher resistance to breaking and better extensibility compared to monolayer films. The antimicrobial activity of both mono and multilayer films was effective in inhibiting the growth of foodborne bacteria during storage of ground beef patties at 8 °C for 10 days. This study suggests that biodegradable antimicrobial multilayer packaging films can be effectively designed and applied in the food packaging industry. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Materials, Technologies, and Innovations in Food Packaging towards Sustainability)
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