Biodegradable active packaging: Components, preparation, and applications in the preservation of postharvest perishable fruits and vegetables

Abstract

The consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables is restricted by the susceptibility of fresh produce to deterioration caused by postharvest physiological and metabolic activities. Developing efficient preservation strategies is thus among the most important scientific issues to be urgently addressed in the field of food science. The incorporation of active agents into a polymer matrix to prepare biodegradable active packaging is being increasingly explored to mitigate the postharvest spoilage of fruits and vegetables during storage. This paper reviews the composition of biodegradable polymers and the methods used to prepare biodegradable active packaging. In addition, the interactions between bioactive ingredients and biodegradable polymers that can lead to plasticizing or cross-linking effects are summarized. Furthermore, the applications of biodegradable active (i.e., antibacterial, antioxidant, ethylene removing, barrier, and modified atmosphere) packaging in the preservation of fruits and vegetables are illustrated. These films may increase sensory acceptability, improve quality, and prolong the shelf life of postharvest products. Finally, the challenges and trends of biodegradable active packaging in the preservation of fruits and vegetables are discussed. This review aims to provide new ideas and insights for developing novel biodegradable active packaging materials and their practical application in the preservation of postharvest fruits and vegetables.

Graphical Abstract

Keywords:

• biodegradable active packaging
• active agents
• postharvest preservation
• perishable fruits and vegetables

Author contributions

Linyu Nian: Conceptualization, Validation, Writing-original draft, Writing-review & editing. Mengjun Wang: Conceptualization, Validation, Writing-original draft, Writing - review & editing. Xiaoyang Sun: Writing - review & editing. Yan Zeng: Writing - review & editing. Yao Xie: Writing - review & editing. Shujie Cheng: Writing - review & editing. Chongjiang Cao: Writing - review & editing, Supervision.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by The National Key Research and Development Program of China (2019YFC1605800), Program for the Key Research and Development of Jiangsu Province (SBE2022310082), National Natural Science Foundation of China (32172272), and Science and Technology Program of Jiangsu Province (Key Technologies in Agriculture and Rural Areas) (BE2022310).