The freshness of fruits and vegetables plays a significant role in consumers’ decision to purchase a product at the supermarket. Fresh-cut products are the latest trend in fulfilling society’s restless needs, and the food industry is faced with the challenge of maintaining the quality of fresh produce. The food industry is concerned with the natural maturation and degradation of fruits and vegetables, primarily due to enzymatic reactions. It has been demonstrated that polysaccharide coatings effectively preserve the freshness of these products, extending their shelf life depending on the preservation method used. This review informs readers about the different types of polysaccharides and their novel applications as natural food preservatives in the past five years (2018–2022). The key findings summarized the properties of the antimicrobial agent, the molecular mechanism of action, coating methods, and formulation for the preservation approach. Additionally, we discuss the scientific factors influencing polysaccharide processing and preservation efficacy, allowing it to be used in post-harvest management.

Colorimetric indicators, used in food intelligent packaging, have enormous promise for monitoring and detecting food quality by analyzing and interpreting the quality data of packaged food. Hence, our study developed and characterized a biopolymer film based on starch and anthocyanin for prospective meat freshness monitoring applications. The developed film was morphologically characterized using different morphology instruments to identify the interaction between anthocyanin and starch. The color differences of the proposed film in response to different pH buffers have also been investigated. The combination of anthocyanin and starch produces a smooth and homogenous surface with an intermolecular hydrogen bond that increases the biopolymer’s wavelength. The film indicated bright red at pH 2.0–6.0, bluish-grey at pH 7.0–11.0, and yellowish-green above 11.0 that the naked eye can see. The indicator film shows high sensitivity toward pH changes. The inclusion of anthocyanin increases the biopolymer film’s thickness and crystalline condition with low humidity, water solubility, and swelling values. As a result, the polymer film can be employed in the food industry as an affordable and environmentally friendly indication of meat freshness.

In the current study, cornstarch (CS) and eggshell powder (ESP) were combined using a casting technique to develop a biodegradable film that was further morphologically and physicochemically characterized using standard methods. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were used to characterize the morphology of the ESP/CS film, and the surface of the film was found to have a smooth structure with no cracks, a spherical and porous irregular shape, and visible phase separation, which explains their large surface area. In addition, the energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis indicated that the ESP particles were made of calcium carbonate and the ESP contained carbon in the graphite form. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy indicated the presence of carbonated minerals in the ESP/CS film which shows that ESP/CS film might serve as a promising adsorbent. Due to the inductive effect of the O–C–O bond on calcium carbonate in the eggshell, it was discovered that the ESP/CS film significantly improves physical properties, moisture content, swelling power, water solubility, and water absorption compared to the control CS film. The enhancement of the physicochemical properties of the ESP/CS film was principally due to the intra and intermolecular interactions between ESP and CS molecules. As a result, this film can potentially be used as a synergistic adsorbent for various target analytes.