Novel Packaging Systems for Fruits and Vegetables

This new volume provides a comprehensive overview of the new and diverse technologies in food packaging of fruits and vegetables, providing an emphasis on new commercially available packaging technologies for fresh produce. The book first looks at important biopolymeric films for fresh produce packaging along with a historical overview, followed by coverage of the mechanical, physical, and permeability properties and recent developments in investigative techniques of biopolymers as well as their applications in modified atmosphere packaging used in fresh produce packaging. The volume then discusses the detailed application of natural/organic active agents, including oxygen scavengers, ethylene scavengers, antioxidants, antimicrobial agents, etc., for the fabrication of active packaging for maintaining the quality of fresh produce during storage and transportation. Chapters cover active (antimicrobial, antioxidant) edible films and coatings used to preserve the quality of fresh produce. Protective packaging, package designing aspects, and safety and security packaging for agricultural produce in the supply chain are also explored. Also considered are intelligent packaging technologies that monitor the condition of packaged food using data carriers, indicators, and sensors. Novel Packaging Systems for Fruits and Vegetables provides a thorough presentation of the most important and innovative technologies for the packaging and safety of fruits and vegetables. This volume will be valuable for advanced students as well as for faculty, researchers, and industry professionals in food science and engineering, packaging technology, and postharvest technology.

Kirtiraj K. Gaikwad, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Paper Technology, IIT Roorkee, India. He is a fellow of the Linnean Society of London, UK. Before joining IIT Roorkee, he worked as a postdoctoral fellow at Ecole Polytechnic de Montreal, Canada. He has mainly worked in the field of food packaging technology. Dr. Gaikwad has published 70 research papers in SCI-indexed journals, international patents, and book chapters, and he co-authored the book Food Packaging System. Dr. Gaikwad has received several national and international awards for his work as well as several grants from DST, SERB, and UCOST funding agencies to carry out his research projects. Suman Singh, PhD, is an Assistant Professor at VCSG Uttarakhand University of Horticulture and Forestry, Dehradun, India. Dr. Singh worked as a postdoctoral fellow at Yonsei University, South Korea, and mainly worked on active packaging materials (antimicrobial, scavenger, and temperature-sensitivity materials) for the delivery of high-quality, safe, and fresh produce and prolonging the shelf life of fresh produce using packaging. Dr. Singh received several national and international awards, as well as an INSPIRE Fellowship for her PhD program. Dr. Singh has published over 50 research papers in SCI-indexed journals and three book chapters, and she co-authored the book Food Packaging System.

1. Biopolymers as Packaging Materials for Fresh Produce Applications: Preparation and Properties 2. Physical and Mechanical Properties of Biopolymers Used for Packaging Agricultural Produce 3. Recent Trends in Films and Gases for Modified Atmosphere Packaging of Fresh Produce 4. Natural Antimicrobial Agents for Active Packaging of Fruits and Vegetables 5. Natural Oxygen Scavengers for Maintaining the Quality of Fruits and Vegetables 6. Natural Clay-Based Ethylene Scavengers for Active Packaging of Fruits and Vegetables 7. Natural Antioxidants for Active Packaging for Fresh-Cut Fruits 8. New Smart Packaging Technologies for Monitoring Quality of Agriculture Produce 9. Active Edible Coatings and Films for the Preservation of Quality of Agricultural Produce 10. Protective Packaging for Distribution and Storage of Fruits and Vegetables 11. Package Designing Aspects for Marketing of Fruits and Vegetables 12. Advanced Packaging for Safety and Security of Agriculture Produce in Supply Chain