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Edible, Active and Intelligent Food Packaging Polymeric Materials

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A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Polymer Applications".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 June 2024) | Viewed by 18677

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Dr. Urška Vrabič-Brodnjak

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Guest Editor

Department of Textiles, Graphic Arts and Design, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Engineering, University of Ljubljana, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
Interests: natural fibers; paper fibers; textile fibers; packaging materials; bio-based materials; fiber analysis; sustainability
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The current global situation is having a major impact on the development of new bio-based materials, as they offer significant advantages and can replace synthetic materials. There are already bio-based materials on the market, but with certain limitations. Novel food packaging is important for food safety and quality, since there is already a trend towards sustainable food-packaging solutions. Many novel food-packaging solutions provide a sustainable solution, and during the COVID-19 pandemic, solutions increased. There is an increasing need to develop novel and more sustainable sources to obtain raw materials, including bio-based adhesives. Therefore, it is necessary to understand the advances in processing techniques, polymers used, characterization, methods, and future opportunities to overcome the limitations of biofibers, biopolymers, and nanotechnology and analyze their potential food safety, which also includes edible, active, and intelligent packaging. The relationship between food stability, newly developed packaging materials, and circularity of the final packaging product is of great importance.

This Special Issue is dedicated to the latest research regarding the aforementioned topics and covers all aspects of food-packaging materials on all levels.

Potential topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

Bio-based food packaging materials;
Bio-based adhesives;
Food packaging and supply chains;
Edible, active, intelligent food packaging;
Nanotechnology and coatings for food packaging;
Circularity and sustainability of bio-based materials.

Dr. Urška Vrabič-Brodnjak
Guest Editor

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. Polymers 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

packaging
food
polymeric materials
bio-based materials
food safety

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Editorial

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2 pages, 153 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

Edible, Active and Intelligent Food Packaging Polymeric Materials

by Urška Vrabič-Brodnjak

Polymers 2024, 16(16), 2251; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16162251 - 8 Aug 2024

Viewed by 1783

Abstract

With a focus on sustainability and functionality, this Special Issue looks at various topics, including novel food-packaging solutions, bio-based adhesives, and the integration of nanotechnology to improve performance. It emphasizes the importance of understanding limitations and overcoming them through innovation, highlighting the crucial role of bio-based materials in ensuring food safety and quality, especially in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Future research areas emphasize the need for holistic approaches that prioritize circularity and sustainability throughout the packaging lifecycle. By fostering collaboration and innovation, this Special Issue aims to make progress towards a more sustainable and resilient future for food packaging. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Edible, Active and Intelligent Food Packaging Polymeric Materials)

Research

Jump to: Editorial

18 pages, 3045 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Cast Extruded Films Based on Polyhydroxyalkanoate/Poly(lactic acid) Blend with Herbal Extracts Hybridized with Zinc Oxide

by Magdalena Zdanowicz, Małgorzata Mizielińska and Agnieszka Kowalczyk

Polymers 2024, 16(14), 1954; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16141954 - 9 Jul 2024

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1703

Abstract

The aim of the presented work was to functionalize a blend based on polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA): poly(hydroxybutyrate (PHB) with poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and a mixture of three selected herb extracts, namely, Hypericum L., Urtica L. and Chelidonium L., (E), zinc oxide (ZnO) and a combined system (EZnO), produced via extrusion. Before processing with bioresin, the natural modifiers were characterized using thermal analysis, FTIR and antimicrobial tests. The results revealed interactions between the extracts and the filler, leading to higher thermal stability in EZnO than when using E alone. Moreover, the mixture of extracts exhibited antimicrobial properties toward both Gram-negative (S. aureus) as well as Gram-positive bacteria (E. coli). Modified regranulates were transformed into films by cast extrusion. The influence of the additives on thermal (DSC, TGA and OIT), mechanical, barrier (WVTR and OTR), morphological (FTIR) and optical properties was investigated. The EZnO additive had the highest impact on the mechanical, barrier (OTR and WVTR) and optical properties of the bioresin. The microbial test results revealed that PHA-EZnO exhibited higher activity than PHA-ZnO and PHA-E and also reduced the number of S. aureus, E. coli and C. albicans cells. The findings confirmed the synergistic effect between the additive components. Modified polyester films did not eliminate the phi6 bacteriophage particles completely, but they did decrease their number, confirming moderate antiviral effectiveness. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Edible, Active and Intelligent Food Packaging Polymeric Materials)

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18 pages, 4435 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Development and Characteristics of Protein Edible Film Derived from Pork Gelatin and Beef Broth

by Agnieszka Ciurzyńska, Monika Janowicz, Magdalena Karwacka, Małgorzata Nowacka and Sabina Galus

Polymers 2024, 16(7), 1009; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16071009 - 7 Apr 2024

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 4214

Abstract

The aim of this work was to develop edible films derived from gelatin and beef broth and to analyze the physical properties of the output products. The presented research is important from the point of view of searching for food packaging solutions that may replace traditionally used plastic packaging. This study’s conceptual framework is in line with the trend of sustainable development and zero waste. This study was conducted to develop a recipe for edible films derived from beef gelatin with gelatin concentrations at 4%, 8%, and 12% enriched with additions of beef broth in amounts of 25, 50, 75, and 100%. Selected physical properties of the output edible films were examined in terms of thickness, swelling in water, opacity, water content, water solubility, structure, and mechanical properties. The conducted research made it plausible to conclude that the addition of broth has a positive effect on the extensibility of the edible films and the other physical properties under consideration, especially on decreasing the film thickness, which was found to vary between 50.2 and 191.6 µm. When gelatin and broth were added at low concentrations, the tensile strength of the films increased, and subsequently decreased; however, an opposite effect was observed for elongation at break. The increased broth concentration caused the film opacity to increase from 0.39 to 4.54 A/mm and from 0.18 to 1.04 A/mm with gelatin concentrations of 4% and 12%, respectively. The water solubility of the gelatin films decreased as a result of the broth addition. However, it was noticed that increasing the content of broth caused the water solubility to increase in the tested films. The mere presence of broth in the gelatin films changed the microstructure of the films and also made them thinner. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Edible, Active and Intelligent Food Packaging Polymeric Materials)

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16 pages, 4165 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Design and Development of an Edible Coating for a Ready-to-Eat Fish Product

by Ina Bremenkamp and Maria J. Sousa-Gallagher

Polymers 2024, 16(3), 346; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16030346 - 27 Jan 2024

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2606

Abstract

The application of chitosan and alginate coatings for a ready-to-eat (RTE) baked fish product was studied. An experimental design was used to investigate the effect of coating a polysaccharide concentration and glycerol addition on the safety (microbial growth) and quality (water loss and lipid oxidation) of an RTE fish product under optimal and abused storage conditions. The results showed that a chitosan coating with 1% (w/v) chitosan in 1% (v/v) acetic acid and 15% (w/w chitosan) glycerol, or a 1% (w/v) alginate coating with no glycerol and no crosslinking, showed the best performance in controlling the tested safety and quality parameters. The desirability method was used to identify the shelf lives of chitosan, alginate, and double-coated RTE products. The chitosan-coated samples showed the best performance with a three-fold shelf-life extension compared to the uncoated products stored at 4 °C. Moreover, the tested coatings demonstrated their ability to provide protective functions under abused storage conditions. These results strongly suggest that edible coatings have significant potential in enhancing the shelf life and safety of ready-to-eat (RTE) fish products. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Edible, Active and Intelligent Food Packaging Polymeric Materials)

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13 pages, 3221 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Soy Protein/Polyvinyl-Alcohol (PVA)-Based Packaging Films Reinforced by Nano-TiO₂

by Xueying Tian, Zhizhou Chen, Xiaomeng Lu, Jianlou Mu, Qianyun Ma and Xiaoyuan Li

Polymers 2023, 15(7), 1764; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15071764 - 1 Apr 2023

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3124

Abstract

This work was investigated to prepare a reinforcing composite packaging film composited of soy protein/polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and nano-TiO₂. First, different film compositions were designed by the particle size of nano-TiO₂, concentration of nano-TiO₂, concentration of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP, a dispersing agent for nano-TiO₂), and pH of film casting solution. Then, the film composition that yielded the optimal physical properties was identified using orthogonal array design single-factor experiments, considering its physical properties, including tensile strength, elongation, water absorption, water vapor transmission, oxygen permeation, thermal property, and film morphology. The results displayed that the optimal film composition was (1) soy protein/PVA film with 2.5 wt% nano-TiO₂, (2) 30 nm nano-TiO₂ particle size, (3) 1.5 wt% PVP, and (4) pH 6.0 of film-forming solution. It yielded tensile strength of 6.77 MPa, elongation at break rate of 58.91%, and water absorption of 44.89%. Last, the films were characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). SEM analysis showed that compared with the film without TiO₂, the film containing TiO₂ has a smoother surface, and DSC determined that adding nano-TiO₂ can improve the thermostability of soy protein/PVA film. Therefore, the film prepared in this paper is expected to provide a new theoretical basis for use in the packaging industry. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Edible, Active and Intelligent Food Packaging Polymeric Materials)

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16 pages, 6102 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Coffee Waste Macro-Particle Enhancement in Biopolymer Materials for Edible Packaging

by Samsul Rizal, H.P.S. Abdul Khalil, Shazlina Abd Hamid, Ikramullah Ikramullah, Rudi Kurniawan, Che Mohamad Hazwan, Umar Muksin, Sri Aprilia and Tata Alfatah

Polymers 2023, 15(2), 365; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15020365 - 10 Jan 2023

Cited by 18 | Viewed by 4226

Abstract

Plastic pollution has raised interest in biodegradable and sustainable plastic alternatives. For edible food packaging, seaweed biopolymers have been studied for their film-forming properties. In this study, packaging films were developed using the solvent casting technique from natural red seaweed (Kappaphycus alvarezii) and coffee waste product. The physico-chemical and thermal properties of seaweed/coffee biopolymer films was obtained using dynamic light scattering (DLS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transmission irradiation (FT-IR), water contact angle measurement (WCA) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The characterization study was carried out to improve the film’s morphological, thermal, and mechanical properties. The average particle size of coffee waste was found to be between 1.106 and 1.281 µm, with a zeta potential value of −27.0 mV indicating the compound’s strong negative charge. The SEM analysis revealed that the coffee filler was evenly dispersed in the polymer matrix, improving the film’s structural properties. The FT-IR result shows that coffee waste was successfully incorporated over the film matrix with the presence of a N-H bond. The hydrophobic property of the film was enhanced with the incorporation of coffee filler, indicating increased water contact angle compared to the neat film. The tensile properties of the biopolymer film were significantly improved at 4 wt% coffee powder with optimum tensile strength (35.47 MPa) with the addition of coffee waste powder. The incorporation of coffee waste into the seaweed matrix increased the functional properties of the fabricated biopolymer film. Thus, seaweed/coffee biopolymer film has the potential to be used in food packaging and other applications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Edible, Active and Intelligent Food Packaging Polymeric Materials)

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