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Atmospheric cold plasmas (ACPs) have received increased attention in recent years as a novel decontamination technology in food and biological sciences research. Cold plasma treatment is especially desirable in food industries for in-package decontamination as it prevents post-processing contamination. ACPs are often obtained using noble gases or air. This work reports the decontamination of strawberries inside a sealed package with two different gas mixtures, viz. 65 % O₂ + 16 % N₂ + 19 % CO₂ and 90 % N₂ + 10 % O₂. The electrical parameters of the dielectric barrier discharge obtained at 60 kV rms (50 Hz) applied voltage over a 40-mm gap have been characterised using capacitive (charge–voltage) measurements and show for each gas mixture an increase in transferred power and charge in the presence of the fresh produce. The background micro-flora of the strawberries was reduced by an average of ~3.0 log cycles from the initial levels of 5 log₁₀ CFU/g in 300 s of in-package ACP discharge. Plasma treatments with the two gas mixtures showed similar effects on microbial reduction levels. Strawberries treated and stored in a high oxygen gas mixture showed favourable quality results with similar respiration rates and an 11 % higher firmness than the control stored for 24 h.

Fresh-cut flowers are considered to be one of the most delicate and challenging commercial crops. It is important to take into consideration how to minimize loss during storage and transportation when preserving cut flowers. Many impinging (bad effect) forces can interact to shorten the flowers’ vase life. In the flower industry, effective methods need to be developed to extend freshly cut flowers’ life. Fresh-cut flowers’ vase life can be shortened by a variety of interlocking causes. The flower industry must develop new techniques to extend the flowers’ vase lifespan. This review provides comprehensive, up-to-date information on classical, modified atmosphere packaging (MAP), and controlled atmosphere packaging (CAP) displays. According to this review, a promising packaging technique for fresh flowers can be achieved through smart packaging. A smart package is one that incorporates new technology to increase its functionality. This combines active packaging, nanotechnology, and intelligence. This technology makes it easier to keep an eye on the environmental variables that exist around the packaged flowers to enhance their quality. This article offers a comprehensive overview of creative flower-saving packaging ideas that reduce flower losses and assist growers in handling more effectively their flower inventory. To guarantee the quality of flowers throughout the marketing chain, innovative packaging techniques and advanced packaging technologies should be adopted to understand various package performances. This will provide the consumer with cut flowers of standard quality. Furthermore, sustainable packaging is achieved with circular packaging. We can significantly reduce packaging waste’s environmental impact by designing reused or recyclable packaging.

Traditional modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) cannot meet the preservation requirements of winter jujube, and the high respiration rate characteristics of winter jujube will produce an atmosphere component with high CO concentration in traditional MAP. Micro-perforated MAP is suitable for the preservation of winter jujube due to its high permeability, which can effectively remove excess CO and supply O . In this study, a microporous film preservation system that can be quickly applied to winter jujube was developed, namely PMP-MAP (precise micro-perforated modified atmosphere packaging). An experiment was designed to store winter jujube in PMP-MAP at 20°C and 2°C, respectively. The quality, aroma and antioxidant capacity, etc. of winter jujube at the storage time were determined. In this study, the optimal micropore area required for microporous film packaging at different temperatures is first determined. To ensure the best perforation effect, the effects of various factors on perforation efficiency were studied. The gas composition within the package was predicted using the gas prediction equation to ensure that the gas composition of the perforated package achieved the desired target. Finally, storage experiments were designed to determine the quality index of winter jujube, including firmness, total soluble solids, titratable acid, reddening, and decay incidence. In addition, sensory evaluation, aroma and antioxidant capacity were also determined. Finally, the preservation effect of PMP-MAP for winter jujube was evaluated by combining the above indicators. At the end of storage, PMP-MAP reduced the respiration rate of winter jujube, which contributed to the preservation of high total soluble solids and titratable acid levels, and delayed the reddening and decay rate of winter jujube. In addition, PMP-MAP maintained the antioxidant capacity and flavor of winter jujube while inhibiting the occurrence of alcoholic fermentation and off-flavors. This can be attributed to the effective gas exchange facilitated by PMP-MAP, thereby preventing anaerobic stress and quality degradation. Therefore, the PMP-MAP approach is an efficient method for the storage of winter jujube.

Polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH) exhibits outstanding gas-barrier properties, which favor its use as a biodegradable, high-barrier coating on food-packaging films, possibly in combination with modified atmospheres. Nonetheless, its high sensitivity to water can result in a severe loss of barrier properties, significantly limiting its applications with fresh foods and in high-humidity conditions. In this work, the water vapor (PWV) and oxygen permeability (PO2) of high-barrier biodegradable films with PVOH/PLA + wax double coatings were extensively characterized in a wide range of relative humidity (from 30 to 90%), aimed at understanding the extent of the interaction of water with the wax and the polymer matrices and the impact of this on the permeation process. What is more, a mathematical model was applied to the PWV data set in order to assess its potential to predict the permeability of the multilayer films by varying storage/working relative humidity (RH) conditions. The carbon dioxide permeability (PCO2) of the films was further evaluated, and the corresponding permselectivity values were calculated. The study was finally augmented through modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) tests, which were carried out on double-coated films loaded with 0 and 5% wax, and UV-Vis analyses. The results pointed out the efficacy of the PLA + wax coating layer in hampering the permeation of water molecules, thus reducing PVOH swelling, as well as the UV-shielding ability of the multilayer structures. Moreover, the MAP tests underlined the suitability of the double-coated films for being used as a sustainable alternative for the preservation of foods under modified atmospheres.

The highly perishable strawberry fruit (Fragaria ananassa Duch.) has a short shelf life after harvesting limiting its consumption due to reduced freshness. A suitable packaging condition, proper storage, and carefully tuned atmosphere composition inside the package can preserve the quality and extend the shelf life of perishable fruits. In this study, packaging films based on polylactic acid (PLA) were prepared and evaluated under two different gas mixtures: MAP-A: 10% O2 + 15% CO2 + 75% N2 and MAP-B: 15% O2 + 10% CO2 + 75% N2 for strawberry fruit packaging. The effect of the mentioned treatments on physicochemical properties of fresh strawberry fruit including weight loss (WL), total soluble solids (TSS), titratable acidity (TA), TSS/TA, pH, and firmness (F) at 4 °C for 23 days of storage time were evaluated using a factorial experiment in a completely randomized design. The results showed that the F of strawberry decreased during the storage time, while WL, TSS/TA, and pH increased. The TSS and TA of all the treatments increased throughout the storage time and decreased at the end of the storage time. In addition, PLA/montmorillonite Cloisite 20A/Triacetin preserved the quality of the packaged fruits due to its lower water vapor permeability (5.31 × 10−7 g−1 s−1 Pa−1) and lower oxygen transmission rate (25.6 cm3 mm1 m−2 day−1) compared to neat PLA and PLA/Triacetin films. Furthermore, the gas mixture of MAP-A was more suitable in comparison to MAP-B due to the higher CO2 pressure and lower O2 pressure inside packages. We can conclude that using nanocomposite film PLA/montmorillonite Cloisite 20A/Triacetin with modified atmosphere provides a more desirable condition for strawberry fruits storaging at a low temperature.

This study aimed to investigate the most important functional properties of multilayer and alternative packaging with improved sustainability specifically used for modified atmosphere (MAP) and chilled food products. A multilayer material with a thickness reduction, mono-PET, paper/PE-EVOH-PE, and a biopolymer for trays, together with a SiO x -coated PET, and a cellulose/PLA-based for lids were analyzed for their optical, tensile, and gas-vapor barrier properties, which were compared to those of conventional trays/lids (PET-EVOH-PE multilayer structures). All the alternative solutions showed good UV-light screening ability, together with high transparency in the visible range, and tensile properties greater than those displayed by conventional configurations. Lid alternative materials exhibited a significantly higher performance in terms of oxygen and water vapor barrier properties as compared to that displayed by conventional counterparts. The tray alternative solutions performed better than the conventional ones against CO 2 and O 2 permeation, with values lower than the detection limit of the instrument (0.01 cm 3 m − 2 day − 1 and 0.25 cm 3 m − 2 day − 1 for O 2 and CO 2 , respectively). This study demonstrated the high potential of alternative packaging in replacing the current materials intended for storing highly perishable foods stored under MAP and cold storage. Highlights Functional properties of different packaging systems were investigated. All tested materials exhibited good transparency and UV shielding properties. Tensile properties of mono-material and conventional tray films were comparable. Alternative materials showed higher barrier properties than conventional solutions. Alternative solutions have the potential to replace conventional configurations.

Monitoring and identifying the freshness levels of meat holds significant importance in the field of food safety as it directly relates to human dietary safety. Traditional packaging methods for lamb meat quality assessment present issues such as cumbersome operations and irreversible damage. This research proposes a quality assessment method for modified atmosphere packaging lamb meat using near-infrared spectroscopy and multi-parameter fusion. Fresh lamb meat quality is taken as the research subject, comparing various physicochemical indicators and near-infrared spectroscopic information under different temperatures (4 °C and 10 °C) and different modified atmosphere packaging combinations. Through precision parameter comparison, rebound and TVB-N values are selected as the modeling parameters. Six spectral preprocessing methods (multi-scatter calibration, MSC; standard normal variate transformation, SNV; normalization; Savitzky–Golay smoothing, SG; Savitzky–Golay 1 derivative, SG-1st; and Savitzky–Golay 2 derivative, SG-2nd), and three feature wavelength selection methods (competitive adaptive reweighted sampling, CARS; successive projections algorithm, SPA; and uninformative variable elimination, UVE) are compared. Partial least squares (PLS) and support vector machine (SVM) are used to construct prediction models for chilled fresh lamb meat quality. The results show that when rebound is used as a parameter, the SG-2nd-SPA-PLSR model has the highest accuracy, with a determination coefficient R2p of 0.94 for the prediction set. When TVB-N is used as a parameter, the MSC-UVE-SVM model has the highest accuracy, with an R2p of 0.95 for the prediction set. In conclusion, the use of near-infrared spectroscopic analysis enables rapid and non-destructive prediction and evaluation of lamb meat freshness, including its textural characteristics and TVB-N content under different modified atmosphere packaging. This study provides a theoretical basis and technical support for further encapsulating the models into portable devices and developing portable near-infrared spectrometers to rapidly determine lamb meat freshness.

Food preservation is an essential application for polymers, particularly in packaging. Complex multilayer films, such as those used for modified atmosphere packaging (MAP), extend the shelf life of sensitive foods. These mostly contain various polymers to achieve the necessary combination of mechanic, optic, and barrier properties that limit their recyclability. As the European Union’s Circular Economy Action Plan calls for sustainable products and business models, including waste prevention policies and recycling quotas, with plastic packaging being a high priority, solutions towards more sustainable multilayer packaging are urgently needed. This study evaluated and compared the recycling potential of functionally equivalent PET (polyethylene terephthalate) and PP (polypropylene) post-consumer MAP through structure analysis and recycling simulation. The structure analysis revealed that both types of MAP contained functional (stability) and barrier layers (oxygen and moisture). The recycling simulation showed that the PP-based packaging was recyclable 10 times, maintaining its mechanical properties and functionality. At the same time, the PET-based MAP resulted in a highly brittle material that was unsuitable for reprocessing into similar economic value products. The secondary material from the PP-based MAP was successfully manufactured into films, demonstrating the functional possibility of closed-loop recycling. The transition from a linear to a circular economy for MAP is currently still limited by safety concerns due to a lack of sufficient and efficient purification methods, but the proper design of multilayers for recyclability is a first step towards circularity.

Tender bamboo shoots undergo rapid senescence that influences their quality and commercial value after harvest. In this study, the tender sweet bamboo shoots (‘Wensun’) were packed by a passive modified atmosphere packaging (PMAP) to inhibit the senescence process, taking polyethylene package as control. The increase in CO 2 and the decrease in O 2 gas concentrations in the headspace atmosphere of the packages were remarkably modified by PMAP treatments. The modified gas atmosphere packaging inhibited the changes in firmness, as well as the content of cellulose, total pectin, and lignin in the cell walls of bamboo shoots. The enzymatic activities of cellulase, pectinase, and polygalacturonase that act on cell wall polysaccharides, and phenylalanine ammonia lyase, cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase, peroxidase, and laccase regulating the lignin biosynthesis were modified by PMAP treatment different from control during storage. The expression levels of the lignin biosynthesis genes PePAL3/4 , PeCAD , Pe4CL5, PeC4H, PeCCOAOMT, PeCOMT , cellulose synthase PeCESA1 , and related transcription factors PeSND2, PeKNAT7, PeMYB20, PeMYB63 , and PeMYB85 were clearly regulated. These results suggest that PMAP efficiently retards the changes in lignin and cell wall polysaccharides, thus delaying the senescence of tender sweet bamboo shoots during storage.

Packaging is considered one of the most interesting technological aspects of food production and is a constantly evolving subject in food production. The type of packaging is important for the quality and safety of the product and for the visual appearance of the product to be immediately evaluated by consumers. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of four different types of modified atmosphere packaging (ATM) and vacuum packaging (VP) currently used by a company in central Italy, on the main qualitative characteristics of beef. For these two traditional and two new solutions with reduced environmental impact and compostable were evaluated. For each type of packaging, two different products were analyzed: steaks and hamburgers. The samples, immediately after production, were transported to the laboratory in refrigerated containers. Several parameters (color, pH, water holding capacity, drip loss, and microbiological characteristics) were evaluated at time 0 and after 7 (T7), 14 (T14) and 21 days (T21) of storage in the dark and at refrigeration temperature (+4°C . 2°C). The results showed that the two types of packaging have very similar effects on the water-retaining capacity of the steaks. More noticeable differences were recorded by the colorimetric analysis: for both steaks and hamburgers, the products packaged in the traditional packaging appeared brighter and redder than those packaged in the new alternatives. The microbiological analysis of the steaks showed higher values in the “new” packaging. The formation of abundant ropy slime was observed in one of the samples in the “new” modified atmosphere package at T21. The results of this study showed that the technological characteristics (in particular, the color) and the microbiological characteristics of the steaks and hamburgers were better in “old” packaging, with a better appearance and a longer shelf life. The results obtained show how the research for eco-sustainable products for packaging must be addressed, taking into account the effect of the materials on the qualitative and hygienic-sanitary characteristics of the meat.