Seaweed-based biopolymers for food packaging: A sustainable approach for a cleaner tomorrow.

With the increasing environmental and health consequences of uncontrolled plastic use, the scientific community is progressively gravitating toward biodegradable and ecofriendly packaging alternatives. Seaweed polysaccharides have attracted attention recently because of their biodegradability, nontoxicity, antioxidant properties, and superior film-forming ability. However, it has some limitations for packaging applications, such as low tensile strength, water solubility, and only modest antimicrobial properties. The incorporation of biopolymers, nanoparticles, or organic active ingredients enhances these characteristics. This review encapsulates the contemporary research landscape pivoting around the role of seaweed polysaccharides in the development of bioplastics, active packaging solutions, edible films, and protective coatings. A meticulous collation of existing literature dissects the myriad food application avenues for these marine biopolymers, emphasizing their multifaceted physical, mechanical, thermal, and functional attributes, including antimicrobial and antioxidant. A key facet of this review spotlights environmental ramifications by focusing on their biodegradability, reinforcing their potential as a beacon of sustainable innovation. This article delves into the prevalent challenges that stymie large-scale adoption and commercialization of seaweed-centric packaging, offering a comprehensive perspective on this burgeoning domain.

Bacteriophages: a potential game changer in food processing industry.

In the food industry, despite the widespread use of interventions such as preservatives and thermal and non-thermal processing technologies to improve food safety, incidences of foodborne disease continue to happen worldwide, prompting the search for alternative strategies. Bacteriophages, commonly known as phages, have emerged as a promising alternative for controlling pathogenic bacteria in food. This review emphasizes the potential applications of phages in biological sciences, food processing, and preservation, with a particular focus on their role as biocontrol agents for improving food quality and preservation. By shedding light on recent developments and future possibilities, this review highlights the significance of phages in the food industry. Additionally, it addresses crucial aspects such as regulatory status and safety concerns surrounding the use of bacteriophages. The inclusion of up-to-date literature further underscores the relevance of phage-based strategies in reducing foodborne pathogenic bacteria's presence in both food and the production environment. As we look ahead, new phage products are likely to be targeted against emerging foodborne pathogens. This will further advance the efficacy of approaches that are based on phages in maintaining the safety and security of food.

Value addition of rice straw cellulose fibers as a reinforcer in packaging applications.

The potential use of agro-waste in food packaging applications is receiving remarkable attention due to its sustainable approach and biodegradable properties. As typical lignocellulosic biomass, rice straw (RS) is widely produced but is usually abandoned and burned, causing tremendous environmental concerns. The exploration of using RS as the source of biodegradable packaging materials is promising for economically converting this agricultural waste into packaging material, thereby providing a considerable solution for RS disposal and an alternative solution to synthetic plastic waste. Polymers have been infused with nanoparticles, fibers, and whiskers, along with plasticizers and cross-linkers, and fillers like nanoparticles and fibers. They have also been blended with natural extracts, essential oils, and other synthetic and natural polymers to improve RS properties. There is still much research to be done before this biopolymer can be applied at an industrial level in food packaging. In this respect, RS can be valued for packaging to add value to these underutilized residues. This review article focuses on the extraction methods and functionality of cellulose fibers and their nanostructured forms from RS and their utilization in packaging applications.

Nanotechnology impacting probiotics and prebiotics: a paradigm shift in nutraceuticals technology.

This is proven for a long that the incorporation of probiotics and prebiotics in diet exhibits beneficial effects on intestinal and intrinsic health. Nevertheless, this may encounter loss of vitality all along the absorption in the gastrointestinal tract, leading to meager intestinal delivery of probiotic active ingredients. In recent times, nanotechnology has been passionately used to escalate the bioavailability of active ingredients. Versatile forms of nanoparticles (NPs) are devised to be used with probiotics/prebiotics/synbiotics or their different combinations. The NPs currently in trend are constituted of distinctive organic compounds like carbohydrates, proteins, fats, or inorganics such as oxides of silver and titanium or magnesium etc. This review critically explicates the emerging relationship of nanotechnology with probiotics and prebiotics for different applications in neutraceuticals. Here in this review, formulations of nanoprobiotics and nanoprebiotics are discussed in detail, which behave as an effective drug delivery system. In addition, these formulations exhibit anti-cancerous, anti-microbial, anti-oxidant and photo-protective properties. Limited availability of scientific research on nanotechnology concerning probiotics and prebiotics implies dynamic research studies on the bioavailability of loaded active ingredients and the effective drug delivery system by including the safety issues of food and the environment.

Valorization of wheat straw in food packaging: A source of cellulose.

Wheat straw (WS) is one of the abundant categories of agricultural waste, which is usually abandoned and burned yearly, thus creating environmental issues. Traditionally, it is used for low-value purposes, mainly in cattle feeding or agricultural mulch, and the rest is burnt or thrown away. WS is a valuable candidate as raw material for being used as reinforcing fibers to fabricate biocomposites. Among existing strategies, one of the potential strategies to utilize such lignocellulosic biomasses includes the extraction of cellulose as a potential candidate in the fabrication of sustainable packaging. Exploring WS as a valuable source of cellulose could be a key strategy for enabling biopolymers in packaging, which relies on developing tailor-made materials from non-food and low-cost resources. In this regard, the valorization of WSs for packaging can add value to these underutilized residues and successfully contribute to the circular economy concept. The review addresses the valorization of WS as a source of cellulose and its nanostructured forms for food packaging applications. The review also discusses cellulose derivatives extraction using conventional or innovative techniques (microwave-assisted extraction, fractionation, mechanical fibrillation, steam-explosion, microfludization, enzymatic hydrolysis, etc.). The different applications of these extracted biopolymers in the packaging are also summarized.

Spectroscopic techniques for authentication of animal origin foods.

Milk and milk products, meat, fish and poultry as well as other animal derived foods occupy a pronounced position in human nutrition. Unfortunately, fraud in the food industry is common, resulting in negative economic consequences for customers as well as significant threats to human health and the external environment. As a result, it is critical to develop analytical tools that can quickly detect fraud and validate the authenticity of such products. Authentication of a food product is the process of ensuring that the product matches the assertions on the label and complies with rules. Conventionally, various comprehensive and targeted approaches like molecular, chemical, protein based, and chromatographic techniques are being utilized for identifying the species, origin, peculiar ingredients and the kind of processing method used to produce the particular product. Despite being very accurate and unimpeachable, these techniques ruin the structure of food, are labor intensive, complicated, and can be employed on laboratory scale. Hence the need of hour is to identify alternative, modern instrumentation techniques which can help in overcoming the majority of the limitations offered by traditional methods. Spectroscopy is a quick, low cost, rapid, non-destructive, and emerging approach for verifying authenticity of animal origin foods. In this review authors will envisage the latest spectroscopic techniques being used for detection of fraud or adulteration in meat, fish, poultry, egg, and dairy products. Latest literature pertaining to emerging techniques including their advantages and limitations in comparison to different other commonly used analytical tools will be comprehensively reviewed. Challenges and future prospects of evolving advanced spectroscopic techniques will also be descanted.

Milk protein-based active edible packaging for food applications: An eco-friendly approach.

Whey and casein proteins, in particular, have shown considerable promise in replacing fossil-based plastics in a variety of food applications, such as for O2 susceptible foods, thereby, rendering milk proteins certainly one of the most quality-assured biopolymers in the packaging discipline. Properties like excellent gas barrier properties, proficiency to develop self-supporting films, adequate availability, and superb biodegradability have aroused great attention toward whey and other milk proteins in recent years. High thermal stability, non-toxicity, the ability to form strong inter cross-links, and micelle formation, all these attributes make it a suitable material for outstanding biodegradability. The unique structural and functional properties of milk proteins make them a suitable candidate for tailoring novel active package techniques for satisfying the needs of the food and nutraceutical industries. Milk proteins, especially whey proteins, serve as excellent carriers of various ingredients which are incorporated in films/coatings to strengthen barrier properties and enhance functional properties viz. antioxidant and antimicrobial. In this review, the latest techniques pertaining to the conceptualization of active package models/ systems using milk proteins have been discussed. Physical and other functional properties of milk protein-based active packaging systems are also reviewed. This review provides an overview of recent applications of milk protein-sourced active edible packages in the food packaging business.

Natural Antimicrobials as Additives for Edible Food Packaging Applications: A Review.

Edible packaging is a swiftly emerging art of science in which edible biopolymers like lipids, polysaccharides, proteins, resins, etc., and other consumable constituents extracted from various non-conventional sources are used alone or imbibed together. Edible packaging with antimicrobial components had led to the development of the hypothesis of active packaging which safeguards the quality of foods as well as health of consumers. Natural antimicrobial agents (NAMAs) like essential oils from spices, bioactive compounds derived from vegetables and fruits, animal and microorganism derived compounds having antimicrobial properties can be potentially used in edible films as superior replcement for synthetic compounds, thus serving the purpose of quality and heath. Most of the natural antimicrobial agents enjoy GRAS status and are safer than their synthetic counterparts. This review focuses on updated literature on the sources, properties and potential applications of NAMAs in the food industry. This review also analyzes the biodegradability and biocompatibility and edibility properties of NAMAs enriched films and it can be concluded that NAMAs are better substitutes but affect the organoleptic as well as the mechanical properties of the films. Despite many advantages, the inclusion of NAMAs into the films needs to be investigated more to quantify the inhibitory concentration without affecting the properties of films and exerting potential antimicrobial action to ensure food safety.

Comparative nutritional and microbiological quality of ready to cook mixed vegetable curry.

Increasing urbanization, busy lifestyles has been providing a huge impetus to prefer ready to cook (RTC) food products. The research project was conducted to develop such a RTC product which fits the busy lifestyle of people as well as does not compromise on part of nutritional profile. The curry was prepared by washing, cutting, boiling (till vegetables gets soft) and blanching (5 min in 5% brine solution) followed by drying of five seasonal vegetables viz., carrot, peas, potato, cauliflower, beans in hot air dryer at 65 ± 5 °C for 10-12 h. A standardized gravy mix powder (onion, garlic, spices and herbs) was used to add flavor. Serving size for one person i.e. sachet contained 25 g dried vegetables, 10 g gravy mix powder and 200 ml water was prepared and packed. The recipe was finalized after sensory trials. The curry was ready in approximately 5 min in pressure cooker. The product remained well acceptable up to 4 months when packed in LDPE pouches under normal room temperature conditions. However, the shelf life of 4 months at 25 °C for a dried product is by all means considered good by the general expectations of dried foods and keeping the quality of dried foods reported in the literature.

Flaxseed-a potential functional food source.

There is currently much interest in phytochemicals as bioactive molecules of food. Functional foods are an emerging field in food science due to their increasing popularity among health conscious consumers. Flaxseed is cultivated in many parts of world for fiber, oil as well as for medicinal purposes and also as nutritional product. In this review, nutrients, anti-nutrients, functional properties, processing, metabolism and health benefits of bioactive molecules viz., essential fatty acids, lignans and dietary fiber of flaxseed are discussed.