Università degli studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia

: In the original publication [...].

Fruits are particularly susceptible to post-harvest decay. In this context, bio-based coatings could be a useful andsustainable approach to overcome this problem. The EU Commission is very restrictive about food additives andmaterials in contact with food, regulated respectively by Reg. UE (CE) 1333/2008 and Reg. UE (CE) 10/2011. Inthis research, different percentages of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (H)-guar gum (G) (1–2% w/v) and po-tassium sorbate (PS) (0–2% w/v) were used to produce coatings to be applied on tomatoes (Solanum lycopersi-cum) and oranges (Citrus sinensis). The efficacy of the coatings was firstly evaluated through an accelerated test(28 ◦C 90% RH, 20 days) on artificially wounded fruits, and then under storage conditions (8 ◦C 95% RH, 6weeks). The physical and chemical parameters of the fruits were periodically analyzed and used to evaluate theeffect of the coatings on the fruit quality through a multivariate approach (PCA). All coatings were effective inpreserving fruits under refrigeration against Penicillium spp. and Alternaria spp., but PS led to significant fruitweight loss despite its strong fungistatic activity. Biopolymers showed potential for preserving fruit freshness, butalternative antifungal agents without adverse weight effects should be explored using a similar statisticalapproach. (16) (PDF) Improving the post-harvest quality of fruits during storage through edible packaging based on guar gum and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/374295352_Improving_the_post-harvest_quality_of_fruits_during_storage_through_edible_packaging_based_on_guar_gum_and_hydroxypropyl_methylcellulose#fullTextFileContent [accessed Oct 06 2023].

Food technology has played a crucial role since the beginning of human civilization. Throughout the centuries, the evolution of food processing has led to an increase of food safety and quality, enhancing the overall quality of human life. Lately, academic research and industries have gained awareness about the impact of conventional preservation technologies like heat sterilization and chemical preservatives on environment and economy, besides the detrimental effects on the organoleptic and nutritional quality of foods. This consciousness oriented the efforts towards more sustainable techniques, paving the way to a new “green era” of food technology.Scope and approach This work explores seven non-thermal technologies, describing their theoretical principles, mechanism of action, effect on microorganisms, advantages, and limitations. Besides, the concept of hurdle technology to overcome the criticisms related to single processing techniques is highlighted. Key findings and conclusions Non-thermal technologies have the potential to substitute conventional techniques for microbial inactivation, improving the safety and quality of food. The efficiency of each technique strongly relies on the process parameters (treatment intensity; exposure time), equipment (geometry; conformation), product (physical state; composition; viscosity; geometry), and microorganism characteristics (strain; concentration; growth phase; resistance mechanisms). In this sense, the hurdle approach allows to overcome the limitations related to the single technologies, broadening their efficiency and application range, and minimizing their impact on food quality. Further studies are recommended to better understand the mechanisms of mutual interaction among these techniques when combined together in specific conditions, in view of their scaling-up for commercial applications.

first_page settings Order Article Reprints Open AccessArticle Waste Orange Peels as a Source of Cellulose Nanocrystals and Their Use for the Development of Nanocomposite Films by Francesco Bigi 1 [ORCID] , Enrico Maurizzi 1 [ORCID] , Hossein Haghighi 1 [ORCID] , Heinz Wilhelm Siesler 2 [ORCID] , Fabio Licciardello 1,3 [ORCID] and Andrea Pulvirenti 1,3,* [ORCID] 1 Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 42015 Reggio Emilia, Italy 2 Department of Physical Chemistry, University of Duisburg-Essen, 45141 Essen, Germany 3 Interdepartmental Research Centre for the Improvement of Agri-Food Biological Resources (BIOGEST-SITEIA), University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 42015 Reggio Emilia, Italy * Author to whom correspondence should be addressed. Foods 2023, 12(5), 960; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12050960 Received: 19 January 2023 / Revised: 16 February 2023 / Accepted: 21 February 2023 / Published: 24 February 2023 (This article belongs to the Special Issue Scientific Breakthroughs to Fruit and Vegetable By-Product Valorization in Food Sector) Download Browse Figures Versions Notes Abstract To date, approximately 30–50% of food is wasted from post-harvesting to consumer usage. Typical examples of food by-products are fruit peels and pomace, seeds, and others. A large part of these matrices is still discarded in landfills, while a small portion is valorized for bioprocessing. In this context, a feasible strategy to valorize food by-products consists of their use for the production of bioactive compounds and nanofillers, which can be further used to functionalize biobased packaging materials. The focus of this research was to create an efficient methodology for the extraction of cellulose from leftover orange peel after juice processing and for its conversion into cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) for use in bionanocomposite films for packaging materials. Orange CNCs were characterized by TEM and XRD analyses and added as reinforcing agents into chitosan/hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (CS/HPMC) films enriched with lauroyl arginate ethyl (LAE). It was evaluated how CNCs and LAE affected the technical and functional characteristics of CS/HPMC films. CNCs revealed needle-like shapes with an aspect ratio of 12.5, and average length and width of 500 nm and 40 nm, respectively. Scanning electron microscopy and infrared spectroscopy confirmed the high compatibility of the CS/HPMC blend with CNCs and LAE. The inclusion of CNCs increased the films’ tensile strength, light barrier, and water vapor barrier properties while reducing their water solubility. The addition of LAE improved the films’ flexibility and gave them biocidal efficacy against the main bacterial pathogens that cause foodborne illness, such as Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas fluorescens, Listeria monocytogenes, and Salmonella enterica.

Recently, academic research and industries have gained awareness about the economic, environmental, and social impacts of conventional plastic packaging and its disposal. This consciousness has oriented efforts towards more sustainable materials such as biopolymers, paving the way for the “green era” of food packaging. This review provides a schematic overview about polymers and blends of them, which are emerging as promising alternatives to conventional plastics. Focus was dedicated to biopolymers from renewable sources and their applications to produce sustainable, active packaging with antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. In particular, the incorporation of plant extracts, food-waste derivatives, and nano-sized materials to produce bio-based active packaging with enhanced technical performances was investigated. According to recent studies, bio-based active packaging enriched with natural-based compounds has the potential to replace petroleum-derived materials. Based on molecular composition, the natural compounds can diversely interact with the native structure of the packaging materials, modulating their barriers, optical and mechanical performances, and conferring them antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. Overall, the recent academic findings could lead to a breakthrough in the field of food packaging, opening the gates to a new generation of packaging solutions which will be sustainable, customised, and green.