Prospecting the role of nanotechnology in extending the shelf-life of fresh produce and in developing advanced packaging

 Food Packaging and Shelf Life, 34, 100955, 2022

Fruits and vegetables contain excellent amounts of nutritional and bioactive compounds. The maintenance their shelf-life and prevention from decay, quality deterioration, and microbial spoilage of the fresh produce are the major challenges for food processing industries. Several techniques such as physical, chemical, and bio-preservation are used to extend the shelf-life of fresh produce. However, these techniques could not fully sustain because of their higher cost, and side-effects. In past few decades, nanotechnology came into existence, which provides a green, novel and cutting-edge solution to preserve fresh produce. Organic, inorganic, and combined engineered nanomaterials (nano-particles, nano-composites, nano-emulsion, nano-tracers, nano-packaging, and nano-sensors) are broadly used in shelf-life improvement of fresh produce because of their broad surface to volume ratio, higher barrier property, and better antimicrobial spectrum. This review comprehensively discusses various methods, components, and roles of nanotechnology for extending the shelf-life of fresh produce and scope of developing advanced packaging.

Use of Spectroscopic Techniques to Monitor Changes in Food Quality during Application of Natural Preservatives: A Review

 Antioxidants 2020, 9(9), 882

DOI:10.3390/antiox9090882

Consumer demand for food of high quality has driven research for alternative methods of food preservation on the one hand, and the development of new and rapid quality assessment techniques on the other hand. Recently, there has been a growing need and interest in healthier food products, which has led to an increased interest in natural preservatives, such as essential oils, plant extracts, and edible films and coatings. Several studies have shown the potential of using biopreservation, natural antimicrobials, and antioxidant agents in place of other processing and preservation techniques (e.g., thermal and non-thermal treatments, freezing, or synthetic chemicals). Changes in food quality induced by the application of natural preservatives have been commonly evaluated using a range of traditional methods, including microbiology, sensory, and physicochemical measurements. Several spectroscopic techniques have been proposed as promising alternatives to the traditional time-consuming and destructive methods. This review will provide an overview of recent studies and highlight the potential of spectroscopic techniques to evaluate quality changes in food products following the application of natural preservatives.