Smart and Active Food Packaging Systems Based on Natural Polymers
A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Circular and Green Sustainable Polymer Science".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2025 | Viewed by 30
Special Issue Editors
Interests: protein; polysaccharide; active packaging; food hydrocolloids; pyrolysis; valorization of biomass waste and biopolymer-based composites
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: investigation of structures, properties, and applications of biopolymers; hierarchical structure of biopolymers; polysaccharide-based and protein-based composites; biopolymer interactions; preparation of biopolymer-based nanofibers; new applications of biopolymers in biomedicine, water treatment, energy storage, and intelligent sensing
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Natural polymer-based smart and active packaging systems demonstrate exceptional functional versatility by combining dynamic responsiveness with inherent sustainability. These advanced functional materials utilize the unique physicochemical and bioactive properties of biopolymers—such as starch’s film-forming capability, gelatin’s reversible thermoresponsiveness, chitosan’s antimicrobial activity, and cellulose’s structural robustness—to develop intelligent systems that actively monitor, protect, and extend the shelf life of food products. Their multifunctionality stems from precisely engineered hierarchical architectures spanning nano- to macroscopic scales, incorporating bioactive compounds, nanofillers, or biosensors to enable antimicrobial protection, oxygen scavenging, pH/temperature-triggered release, and real-time freshness indication. This innovative integration of renewable natural polymers with advanced functionalization strategies is revolutionizing food packaging technology through synergistic ecological and performance benefits.
Dr. Jie Liu
Prof. Dr. Ying Pei
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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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
- natural polymer
- food packaging
- polysaccharide
- protein
- lipid
- antimicrobial activity
- antioxidant activity
- intelligent sensing
- real-time monitoring
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