Biobased Functional Materials for Sustainable Food Packaging and Preservation

Dear Colleagues,

Reducing food and packaging waste is crucial for environmental protection. Proper waste management, including agricultural waste, is essential, as agricultural waste can serve as a raw material for new, environmentally friendly packaging. Intensive research is underway to develop new biodegradable, compostable, and edible packaging, aligning with circular economy principles that aim to reduce resource loss and increase raw material utilization. During food storage, changes occur in organoleptic, sensory, biochemical, and microbiological properties. These processes increase food spoilage and threaten consumer safety. Such changes can be significantly limited and slowed by selecting appropriate packaging that fulfills its intended purpose. Essential properties for a well-chosen packaging material include barrier protection and safeguarding the product from microbial access and mechanical contamination from the external environment. The packaging material used should limit the permeability of gases and flavors, and inhibit the oxidation of fats, preserving the product's specific nutritional and organoleptic properties. Antimicrobial properties are intended to ensure the safety of the packaged product against the growth of microorganisms and the production of harmful metabolites. Furthermore, sustainable packaging of edible coatings and films can also serve as carriers for various substances, such as colorants, flavors, antioxidants, antimicrobial substances, and sweeteners, which may have various effects. These include reducing storage losses and providing colorimetric quality indicators, as well as other innovative functions that directly impact product quality and safety or improve its nutritional value.

Prof. Dr. Sabina Galus
Prof. Dr. Monika Janowicz
Guest Editors

Dr. Magdalena Karwacka
Guest Editor Assistant

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