In food packaging, smart indicator films based on natural resources have greatly attracted researchers to minimize the environmental issues as well as to satisfy consumer preferences for food safety. In this research, pH-sensitive films were prepared using purple-fleshed sweet potato starch (SPS) and sweet potato peel (SPP). Two categories of the film (i) SPS and (ii) SPS/SPP, were fabricated via solvent casting technique, incorporating different concentrations of commercial purple sweet potato anthocyanin (CA) at 0%, 1%, 1.5%, and 2% (w/v) and the physicochemical, mechanical, thermal, and morphological properties of the films were investigated. The thickness, water solubility, and swelling degree of the films increased with the increment of CA, whereas there were no significant changes in the water content (WC) of the films. Water vapor permeability (WVP) was decreased for SPS films while statistically similar for SPS/SPP films. The addition of CA reduced the tensile strength (TS) and tensile modulus (TM) yet increased the elongation at break (EaB) of the films as compared to films without CA. The FTIR results confirmed the immobilization of anthocyanin into the film. In SEM images, roughness in the surfaces of the CA-associated films was observed. A reduction of thermal stability was found for the films with anthocyanin except for the SPS/SPP CA 2% film. Furthermore, the CA-associated films showed a remarkable color response when subjected to pH buffers (pH 1 to 12) and successfully monitored chicken freshness. The fastest color migration was observed in acidic conditions when the films were immersed into aqueous, acidic, low fat, and fatty food simulants. The findings of this work demonstrated that the developed pH indicator films have the potential to be implemented as smart packaging to monitor food freshness and quality for safe consumption.

According to the Food Wastage Footprint and Climate Change Report, about 15% of all fruits and 25% of all vegetables are wasted at the base of the food production chain. The significant losses and wastes in the fresh and processing industries is becoming a serious environmental issue, mainly due to the microbial degradation impacts. There has been a recent surge in research and innovation related to food, packaging, and pharmaceutical applications to address these problems. The underutilized wastes (seed, skin, rind, and pomace) potentially present good sources of valuable bioactive compounds, including functional nutrients, amylopectin, phytochemicals, vitamins, enzymes, dietary fibers, and oils. Fruit and vegetable wastes (FVW) are rich in nutrients and extra nutritional compounds that contribute to the development of animal feed, bioactive ingredients, and ethanol production. In the development of active packaging films, pectin and other biopolymers are commonly used. In addition, the most recent research studies dealing with FVW have enhanced the physical, mechanical, antioxidant, and antimicrobial properties of packaging and biocomposite systems. Innovative technologies that can be used for sensitive bioactive compound extraction and fortification will be crucial in valorizing FVW completely; thus, this article aims to report the progress made in terms of the valorization of FVW and to emphasize the applications of FVW in active packaging and biocomposites, their by-products, and the innovative technologies (both thermal and non-thermal) that can be used for bioactive compounds extraction.

This work aims to develop corn starch/chitosan nanoparticles/thymol (CS/CNP/Thy) bio-nanocomposite films as potential food packaging materials that can enhance the shelf life of food. CS/CNP/Thy bio-nanocomposite films were prepared by the addition of different concentrations of thymol (0, 1.5, 3.0, 4.5 w/w%) using a solvent casting method. The resulting films were characterized in terms of optical, mechanical, and water vapor permeability (WVP) properties. The addition of thymol was found to reduce the tensile strength (TS), elongation at break (EAB), and Young’s modulus (YM) of the films. Generally, the increment in the concentration of thymol did not significantly affect the TS, EAB, and YM values. The addition of 1.5 w/w% thymol increased the WVP of the films but the WVP reduced with the increase in thymol concentrations. CS/CNP/Thy-3% bio-nanocomposite films demonstrated the potential to lengthen the shelf life of cherry tomatoes packed with the films, whereby the cherry tomatoes exhibited no significant changes in firmness and the lowest weight loss. In addition, no mold growth was observed on the sliced cherry tomatoes that were in direct contact with the films during 7 days of storage, proving the promising application of the films as active food packaging materials.

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Dabai (Canarium odontophyllum) or also known as ‘Sarawak olive’ is one of the potential indigenous seasonal fruits commonly found in Sarawak. Due to its high nutritional contents, it has wide potential to be marketed locally and exported internationally. Dabai is very delicate and highly perishable. The shelf life of dabai is usually 3 days when stored in room temperature (27°C). Improper storage and handling lead to the reduction of quality and shelf life of the fruit throughout storage. There is still limitation on the information of postharvest, storage and handling, quality and shelf life of dabai. Studies on quality and shelf life affected by storage treatment and packaging are necessary in optimising shelf life and minimising quality loss of the fruit. This could ensure further potential development of the fruit locally and internationally.