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Development of a sustainable antimicrobial biopolymer film for preventing post-harvest food spoilage
Summary
Scientists created a new food wrapping material made from natural ingredients (like chitosan, a substance from shellfish shells, and collagen) instead of plastic, which killed spoilage-causing bacteria and kept fruits, veggies, and meat fresh for up to three weeks. Unlike regular plastic packaging, which sheds microplastics into our food and environment, this material fully breaks down in soil within just 16 days. This could mean less food waste and less plastic pollution — both good news for the planet and for reducing our exposure to microplastics, which have been linked to potential health concerns.
Food loss and waste remain a major global challenge, with nearly one-third of all food produced annually being discarded or wasted, while conventional plastic-based packaging continues to exacerbate environmental pollution and microplastic accumulation. Here, we report the development of a biodegradable antimicrobial active packaging material by conjugating antimicrobial peptides with collagen integrated onto gallic acid grafted with chitosan. The engineered biomaterial exhibited potent antimicrobial activity against food spoilage-associated bacterial pathogens while maintaining excellent biocompatibility and edibility. Physicochemical characterization demonstrated mechanical strength, thermal stability and film forming properties highlighting its suitability for the development of food packaging applications. Notably, the material was effective in preserving the texture, colour, freshness and nutritional value of the tested fruits for up to 20 days and vegetables up to 15 days while extending the refrigerated (2-4 °C) shelf life of meat up to 24 days. In addition, the material underwent complete biodegradation in soil within 16 days, demonstrating its environmental sustainability. Collectively, this study presents a scalable approach for developing next-generation sustainable packaging materials that have the potential for enhanced food preservation, reduced post-harvest losses and mitigate plastic associated environmental burden.