Utilization of Fruit and Vegetable Wastes in Food Packaging

Abstract

Today, the most preferred materials used in food packaging are non-degradable petroleum-based plastic polymer materials due to their high barrier and mechanical properties. These polymer materials are not sustainable due to limited petroleum resources. These non-biodegradable materials pose a serious problem for the environment and affect the entire ecosystem. In recent years, as an alternative to traditional materials for food packaging, the demand for the development of environmentally friendly packaging materials has increased in order to reduce and/or limit the negative impact on the environment. The increasing interest in environmental issues and human health has led to the investigation of possible matrices for bio-packaging in the field of food packaging. In this context, there is an increasing interest in the utilization of fruit and vegetable wastes such as peels, pips, seeds, and leaves. Fruit and vegetables are among the most widely consumed products worldwide, and their waste is the most abundant food waste. These wastes, which are released after fruit and vegetable processing and contain valuable components, can cause environmental pollution if not managed properly. The management of this large amount of waste is difficult, and it is usually either disposed of in water sources and open storage areas or used as feed or compost. However, these wastes have the potential to be used as raw materials for the development of value-added products. Due to their abundant availability and biodegradability, these wastes can solve the major problems associated with conventional plastics used for food packaging and improve sustainable development and life cycles. A more sustainable and greener world can be targeted with these biodegradable materials. This chapter focuses on the conversion of fruit and vegetable waste into environmentally friendly food packaging systems. The chapter emphasizes the advantages and disadvantages of using fruit and vegetable waste as food packaging material and its potential applications. In this context, all mentioned aspects have been comprehensively reviewed, taking into account the literature reported in the last five years. Before processing fruit and vegetable wastes into packaging materials, some steps, such as extraction and purification, are necessary. Materials derived from these wastes have the potential to be used in food packaging with various advantages, such as non-toxicity, biodegradability, and abundant availability. However, there is also a great debate about the applications of these food packaging materials. Further research is needed to improve the barrier and mechanical properties of packaging materials derived from fruit and vegetable waste. Most bioplastics do not meet the basic requirements of food packaging in terms of barrier and mechanical properties, and various modifications are needed to improve their properties. Therefore, future studies should focus on the necessary research to improve the barrier and mechanical properties of materials derived from these wastes. Finally, the legal framework for the large-scale use of these biomaterials derived from fruit and vegetable wastes in food packaging is insufficient, and this may affect the commercialization and consumer acceptance of the products. © 2024 CRC Press.