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The concept of sustainable development is increasingly important in the agri-food sector and global economy. International activities are undertaken to improve the efficiency of industry by reducing its negative impact on the environment. To help determine harmful human activity, the environmental footprints of products and services are calculated using the LCA (life cycle assessment) method. The purpose of this article was to explain topics of sustainable development and environmental footprints, especially the carbon footprint in the agri-food sector, based on the latest literature. The agri-food industry consumes around 30% of global energy demand. It is also a source of emissions of a significant part of greenhouse gases released into the environment. The carbon footprint of food products is determined by many factors associated with their production. Food of animal origin is more harmful and has higher carbon footprints than plant-based products. GHG emission reduction is possible due to the use of renewable energy sources and the abandonment of the use of artificial fertilizers and plant protection products.

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In recent years, science about nutrition and food technology has grown enormously. These advances have provided information about the human body’s need for certain nutrients and the impact of human nutrition on quality of life and health. New technologies enable the production of many new products that meet the expectations of food consumers. To meet the challenges posed by consumers, food producers are developing new food products that are included in the next generation food. Changing nutritional trends force the food industry and technologists to look for innovative products that are not only ready for immediate consumption, but are also unique in terms of nutritional value and contain a minimum number of additives. Existing research trends are intended to develop innovative products, which can be considered a healthy snack that can help in the fight against obesity, especially among children. Such products are freeze-dried fruit or vegetable gels, fruit skins or edible films. The aim of the work is to present a review of the problem of increasing childhood obesity, the place of snacks in the daily diet and the possibility of replacing unhealthy, high-calorie snacks with alternative products with beneficial properties, in which balanced production is used. For example, the use of freeze-drying and the addition of only natural hydrocolloids provides an “clean label” healthy snack that is appreciated by conscious consumers.

Various edible fruit and vegetable materials, including purees, residues, extracts, and juices, have been investigated in terms of their matrix‐forming properties to produce edible packaging materials to be applied to food products influencing their overall quality and improving the efficiency of synthetic packaging, thus leading to the reduction in amount of synthetic polymers used for each application. The potential of fruit and vegetables to be used as components of edible packaging materials is discussed. Such application of fruits and vegetables is possible thanks to the presence of matrix‐forming polysaccharides and proteins in their composition while the presence of bioactive compounds such as vitamins and polyphenols may confer, eg, antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of active packaging materials. The development of edible fruit and vegetable packaging materials is a promising way of combining the barrier and mechanical properties of biopolymers with the nutritional and sensory properties. The application of fruit and vegetables as a component of edible packaging materials enables the utilization of raw materials with low commercial value. Edible packaging materials are a new method of their utilizing. There is also the possibility of just decreasing the amount of synthetic packaging waste by application of fruit and vegetable packaging materials simply as a passive or active layer partially replacing the non‐renewable materials.

Edible films with fruit and vegetable purees have a potential to serve as healthy snacks, edible oven bags as well as wraps for sushi or instead of pancakes, tortillas or lavash in a gluten-free diet. The film-forming solution was prepared by mixing sodium alginate, apple puree and three kinds of vegetable oils such as rapeseed oil, coconut oil and hazelnut oil. Glycerol was used as a plasticizer. Pure sodium alginate and sodium alginate-apple films were used as control samples. All the films had the thickness and moisture content characteristic for this type of materials. The results showed that the addition of apple puree and vegetable oils had a significant effect on the visual appearance of edible films. DSC curves proved stability of the researched edible films. The drying conditions used for film production and the formulations appeared to be suitable to avoid phase separation.

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