From plant compounds to packaging: recent advances in phytochemical added edible films and coatings

Abstract

Global food supply chain faces major challenges due to post-harvest losses, along with synthetic packaging waste accumulating in ecosystems, necessitating the engineering of bioactive edible films and coatings (ECFs). This review assesses the recent advances achieved by incorporating phytochemicals into bio-polymeric carriers to advance contemporary knowledge regarding phenolic compounds flavonoids and terpenoids. Special emphasis is placed on upcycling agricultural processing discards like pomegranate rinds, carrot pomace, and avocado seeds to create renewable origins for generating high-value functional additives. This review discusses the transition process from laboratory solvent casting methods to industrial manufacturing methods, which use hot-melt extrusion (HME) electrospinning, and roll-to-roll (R2R) coating together with advanced stabilization techniques that use microencapsulation in β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) for protecting heat-sensitive bioactive. The phytochemical-loaded packaging systems effectively mitigate microbial proliferation and lipid oxidation across produce, meat, dairy, and bakery sectors, extending product longevity. The creation of intelligent colorimetric sensors involves using pH-responsive anthocyanins, which enable real-time non-invasive monitoring of quality changes. Thus, there is significant potential for phytochemical-loaded edible packaging films or coatings in the field of food packaging.