In recent years, changing lifestyles and food consumption patterns have driven demands for high-quality, ready-to-eat food products that are fresh, clean, minimally processed, and have extended shelf lives. This demand sparked research into the creation of novel tools and ingredients for modern packaging systems. The use of phenolic-compound-based active-packaging and edible films/coatings with antimicrobial and antioxidant activities is an innovative approach that has gained widespread attention worldwide. As phenolic compounds are natural bioactive molecules that are present in a wide range of foods, such as fruits, vegetables, herbs, oils, spices, tea, chocolate, and wine, as well as agricultural waste and industrial byproducts, their utilization in the development of packaging materials can lead to improvements in the oxidative status and antimicrobial properties of food products. This paper reviews recent trends in the use of phenolic compounds as potential ingredients in food packaging, particularly for the development of phenolic compounds-based active packaging and edible films. Moreover, the applications and modes-of-action of phenolic compounds as well as their advantages, limitations, and challenges are discussed to highlight their novelty and efficacy in enhancing the quality and shelf life of food products.

Sodium carbonate is an abundant, low-cost, and low-hazard raw material widely used as a food additive and CO₂ absorbent in the food industry. However, its application in food packaging is limited because it is used in solid form, either in sachets or as a compounding ingredient in plastics. Solid sodium carbonate requires an external moisture supply for CO₂ absorption, with its performance dependent on moisture availability. This limitation hinders its commercialization in food packaging applications. We developed a sodium carbonate-based, self-reactive CO₂ absorbent hydrogel incorporating polyacrylic acid sodium salt (PAAS). This sodium carbonate hydrogel (SCH-PAAS) exhibits self-reactivity, eliminating the need for external moisture, and demonstrates a high CO₂ absorption capacity. PAAS incorporation facilitates the formation of a porous structure during gel solidification through reactions with CO₂. Increased PAAS content accelerates CO₂ absorption rates, particularly under low-temperature conditions (10 °C and 25 °C). Notably, absorption was faster at 10 °C than at 25 °C. The proposed SCH-PAAS exhibits a significantly enhanced absorption performance at low temperatures compared to conventional sodium carbonate-based materials, which exhibit reduced efficiency under such conditions. The increased gas–liquid contact area in SCH-PAAS makes it highly suitable for fresh food packaging applications, particularly under low temperatures.