Natural Polymer-Based Films and Coatings for Food Packaging

Dear Colleagues,

It is a sobering fact that more than 40% of fresh produce is wasted before it is eaten, according to the FAO. Packaging food and extending shelf life are crucial for the transportation and storage of food from farm to table. However, the non-degradability of petroleum-based plastic food packaging has led to serious environmental issues. The health impacts of microplastics are also under investigation. Therefore, the design and development of biopolymer-based food packaging materials, such as proteins and polysaccharides, are essential. Sustainable biopolymers with excellent film-forming properties are being utilized in the development of food packaging materials and have demonstrated promising results in food preservation. Thus, the aim of this Special Issue is to provide readers with an overview of the latest developments and advancements in biopolymer food packaging films aimed at extending the shelf life of foods. In this Special Issue, we encourage the submission of research articles, short communications, or reviews.

Potential topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Improvement of mechanical properties of natural polymer materials；
• Reduce the water sensitivity of natural polymer materials；
• The potential applications in food packaging, active packaging and intelligent packaging;
• Characterization of bio-based polymers that have potential as food packaging;
• The shelf life of packaged food products, storage physicochemical stability during shelf life, and sensory changes during food storage;
• Design and characterization of polysaccharide- or protein-based films, hydrogels;
• Encapsulation and delivery of additives or bioactive substances.

Dr. Ying Chen
Dr. Liang Zhang
Dr. Yi Yuan
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Foods is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• polysaccharide
• protein
• films
• coatings
• hydrogels
• active packaging