Applicability of Agro-Industrial By-Products in Intelligent Food Packaging

Abstract

Nowadays, technological advancement is in continuous development in all areas, including food packaging, which tries to find a balance between consumer preferences, environmental safety, and issues related to food quality and control. The present paper concretely details the concepts of smart, active, and intelligent packaging and identifies commercially available examples used in the food packaging market place. Along with this purpose, several bioactive compounds are identified and described, which are compounds that can be recovered from the by-products of the food industry and can be integrated into smart food packaging supporting the “zero waste” activities. The biopolymers obtained from crustacean processing or compounds with good antioxidant or antimicrobial properties such as carotenoids extracted from agro-industrial processing are underexploited and inexpensive resources for this purpose. Along with the main agro-industrial by-products, more concrete examples of resources are presented, such as grape marc, banana peels, or mango seeds. The commercial and technological potential of smart packaging in the food industry is undeniable and most importantly, this paper highlights the possibility of integrating the by-products derived compounds to intelligent packaging elements (sensors, indicators, radio frequency identification).

Development and Characterization of Active Gelatin Films Loaded with Rapeseed Meal Extracts

“…These kinds of residues are widely used as a feed or compost, but, in fact, by-products of the food industry can be an attractive sources of bioactive compounds, which enhance the desirable properties of packaging. Moreover, recovering substances that can be incorporated in coatings, promote the “zero waste” movement [ 9 , 10 ]. There are several examples of active agents that can be extracted from agro-food waste, such as fruit and vegetable peels or oil industry by-products, which when mixed with biopolymer matrix provide promising results [ 4 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 ].…”

Bio-Based Sensors for Smart Food Packaging—Current Applications and Future Trends

“…Freshness indicators can be divided into direct or indirect indicators. Direct indicators are the ones which action is based on the direct reaction with a specific metabolite or toxin produced, whereas the indirect ones are based on an indirect reaction caused by chemical or microbiological changes that modify the environment where the food is placed [ 47 , 48 ].…”

Valorization and Application of Fruit and Vegetable Wastes and By-Products for Food Packaging Materials

“…According to Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the food packaging market has an enormous economic value in the packaging industry, with USD 15.4 billion [ 11 ]. It is expected that the value of smart packaging will reach USD 26.7 billion by 2024 followed by intelligent and active packaging systems [ 12 ]. Basically, shelf-life extension of food products is the first aim of food packaging.…”