Advances in Polymers for Food Packaging Applications

Dear Colleagues,

Food packaging is extensively designed to impede the quality deterioration of food and beverages during transportation, stocking, and usage. Polymers have received considerable attention in food packaging due to their processability, structural designability, superior chemical stability, affordability, and lightweight nature. Different polymers have been used for decades in rigid and flexible forms for food packaging. The vast majority of these polymers are derived from petrochemicals; however, the food packaging space has seen considerable interest in bio-based food packaging polymers. The demand for sustainable packaging materials has stimulated innovation and the in-depth search for new materials from natural sources, chemical synthesis, or derived from microbial fermentation. The packaging and functional properties of polymers are also enhanced by using multilayer packaging systems or by additive inclusion to form polymer composites. The main objective is to enhance the service life of these polymers, which can support circular economy models via mechanical or chemical recycling or composting, which is a necessity to assimilate its flow in the near future. 

The goal of this Special Issue of Polymers is to feature cutting-edge findings and innovative revelations in the area of food packaging materials. This Special Issue welcomes high-quality research and review articles focusing on packaging materials and their composites impregnated with active ingredients such as nanomaterials, essential oils, natural extracts, and peptides to enhance the shelf life and quality of packaged foods or beverages. The topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Compostable films, composites and coatings for food packaging;
• Edible films and coatings;
• Blending of bio-based materials with polymers to enhance functional properties;
• Reinforcement of encapsulated active compounds in packaging materials;
• Active packaging films for food preservation;
• Intelligent and antimicrobial packaging and shelf life of food and beverages;
• Degradation, recycling and composting of polymers and composites;
• Life-cycle assessment of food packaging materials;
• Migration (study or kinetics) of substances from packaging films, composites and coatings; 
• Machine runnability (tray sealing, thermoforming, vertical film form and seal) of novel and redesigned packaging materials.

Dr. Shivani Pathania
Dr. Mehraj Fatema Zafar Mulla
Prof. Dr. Joseph Kerry
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. 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.

• food packaging
• polymers
• compostable films
• edible coatings
• composites
• active packaging
• MAP
• sustainability
• degradation