Ethylene scavengers for active packaging of fresh food produce

Abstract

Many fruits and vegetables are sensitive to ethylene, which upon prolonged exposure induces the deterioration of food quality, such as change in taste, odour and colour, or microbial growth. Therefore, ethylene scavengers in packages can be used to limit ethylene accumulation. Ethylene scavengers extend the shelf life and retain the original food quality. Here, we review ethylene scavenging systems such as potassium carbonate, palladium, natural clays, titanium dioxide-based, electrondeficient dienes and trienes. Ethylene scavenging is done by chemical reactions and physical adsorption. We then discuss the applications and benefits of ethylene scavengers in packages. The efficiency of ethylene scavengers is improved using atmospheric packaging tools.

Food preservation techniques and nanotechnology for increased shelf life of fruits, vegetables, beverages and spices: a review

“…Many fresh fruits and vegetables are sensitive to oxygen, water permeability and ethylene leading to deterioration of food quality (Gaikwad et al 2018 , 2020 ). Thus, food packaging plays a critical role in addressing this issue.…”

Renewable cellulosic nanocomposites for food packaging to avoid fossil fuel plastic pollution: a review

“…In addition, environmental issues, high prices, and attrition of petroleum resources are some of the concerning factors of these materials. With the advancement in material science technologies, consumer behavior changes and this had led to the emergence of sustainable packaging materials, which serves as an alternative to conventional synthetic materials (Gutiérrez and Alvarez 2017b;Gaikwad et al 2020). Ongoing research aims to meet the environmental legislation and consumer demands for innovative and sustainable food packaging (Merino et al 2019a(Merino et al , 2019.…”

Antioxidant functionalization of biomaterials via reactive extrusion

“…Active packaging is a promising alternative to direct additives which incorporates active substances into/on food packaging materials by covalent (non-migrating/ immobilized technologies) or non-covalent (migrating/ non-immobilized technologies) with the goal of reducing food waste and enhancing food safety. 14,[25][26][27] Significant developments in active packaging technology have produced active materials with antioxidant 14,[28][29][30][31][32] , antimicrobial, 27,[31][32][33] gas scavenging, 27,34 and water scavenging 35 properties with a recent emphasis on the application of natural compounds. Among antioxidant materials, metal chelating materials inhibit lipid oxidation by strongly binding to prooxidant transition metals naturally found in packaged foods and beverages.…”