Plant Oil-based Polymer-Coated Films with Selective Gas Permeability for Efficient Preservation of Perishable Products

About 40-50% of perishableproducts such as fruitsand vegetablesare wasted without consumption owing to the short shelf life and uncontrolledstorage and transportation conditions. To address this issue, conventionalmethods including refrigeration, irradiation, controlled atmospherestorage, and surface coatings are often harnessed. However, thesemethods will probably change both the appearance and flavor of foodor give rise to potential safety concerns and health risks. In thiswork, we have successfully fabricated plant oil-based polymer-coatedfilms as passively modified packaging for the preservation of perishableproducts. Two Camellia oil-based monomers with N-methyl and amide groups were polymerized to produce variousplant oil-based polymers. The obtained plant oil-based polymers presentdistinct capacity for the formation of hydrogen bonding, leading totunable gas permeability and selectivity for the films coated withplant oil-based coatings. Good appearance, low water loss, high firmness,and total soluble solid contents were observed for the perishablefood when sealed with the plant oil-based polymer-coated films. Thismethod is universal and applicable to different fruits and vegetableseither nonclimacteric or climacteric such as cherries, waxberries,tomatoes, and cucumbers. Therefore, passively modified atmospherepackaging films by coating plant oil-based polymers to modulate theCO(2)/O-2 selectivity are a safe and efficientcandidate for the preservation of perishable food.

Automated summary

To address the issue of food waste, researchers have successfully fabricated plant oil-based polymer-coated films as packaging for perishable products. These films have the ability to modulate gas permeability and selectivity, and can be used for different types of fruits and vegetables. When perishable food is sealed with these films, it maintains good appearance, low water loss, high firmness, and total soluble solid contents. Therefore, plant oil-based polymer-coated films are a safe and efficient candidate for preserving perishable food.