This review aims to address the current data on edible packaging systems used in food production. The growing global population, changes in the climate and dietary patterns, and the increasing need for environmental protection, have created an increasing demand for waste-free food production. The need for durable and sustainable packaging materials has become significant in order to avoid food waste and environmental pollution. Edible packaging has emerged as a promising solution to extend the shelf life of food products and reduce dependence on petroleum-based resources. This review analyzes the history, production methods, barrier properties, types, and additives of edible packaging systems. The review highlights the advantages and importance of edible packaging materials and describes how they can improve sustainability measures. The market value of edible packaging materials is expanding. Further research on and developments in edible food packaging materials are needed to increase sustainable, eco-friendly packaging practices that are significant for environmental protection and food safety.

The implementation of food safety management systems has a great influence on global food safety and security, especially for developing nations. The principles of the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points are crucial for food safety and are the basis of food safety management systems. The purpose of this study was to assess the food safety management systems of a selected small-sized food company in India, both before and after certification of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 22000 and the Foreign Supplier Verification Program (FSVP). This company manufactured traditional fried vegetable snacks using manual processing. The effectiveness of these certifications was assessed through direct audit. The integrated FSVP and ISO 22000 audit checklist were elaborated and applied in this study. It was shown that the certification significantly improved (97.14%) food safety system conformity in the company in question. Before certification, many non-compliances were found, especially for HACCP implementation. After certification, the only non-conformity concerned pest control. The integrated FSVP and ISO 22000 audit checklist used for the assessment enabled an evaluation of several factors: the food quality and safety compliance level, the effectiveness of certification, and the readiness of the small-sized Indian snack producer to develop the export of their products to the U.S. and other developed countries. It was shown that certification enabled a small-sized Indian food producer to meet the requirements of ISO 22000 and FSVP, which are the prerequisites for exporting to the U.S. and other developed countries.

The aim of the study was to show the differences in healthy lifestyle and healthy food choices between high school and college students. The study was conducted in the Lublin region, Poland, with a group of 200 high school and college students using purposive sampling with the following four subgroups of 50 students, broken down by gender and type of school. Respondents completed a questionnaire concerning healthy lifestyle, healthy food choices, and barriers preventing a healthy lifestyle. Using discriminant analysis, the factors and barriers to practicing a healthy lifestyle and the factors of healthy food choices were identified by the respondent group and by gender. A multidimensional exploratory technique was also used to interpret the results. The surveyed high school and college students were not very committed to practicing a healthy lifestyle. Multidimensional exploratory technique was also used to interpret the lifestyle and healthy food choices questions. There was variation between the attitudes of college and high school students toward a healthy lifestyle. High school students paid more attention to physical activity and eating breakfast than did college students. On the other hand, college students, at a greater level than high school students, ate a healthy diet and checked the composition of the products they consumed, including the presence of preservatives and artificial additives, and the expiration date of the products. The main barriers to practicing a healthy lifestyle were, for college students, a lack of time and, for high school students, a lack of healthy food offerings in high school canteens.

This review aims to describe an edible packaging system in food production. The growing global population, changes in climate and dietary patterns, as well as increasing need for environmental protection have created an increasing demand for waste-free food production. The need for durable and sustainable packaging materials has become significant to avoid food waste and environmental pollution. Edible packaging has emerged as a promising solution also to extend the shelf life of food products and reduce dependence on petroleum-based resources. In this review, the importance, composition, and functions of edible packaging materials, as well as their production methods, were described. The market value of edible packaging materials is expanding. It needs further research and development of edible packaging materials to increase sustainable, eco-friendly packaging practices significant for environmental protection and food safety.

Microbiological safety and quality consistency are critical challenges in the production of traditional Indian fried snacks, particularly in small-scale food enterprises. With growing export demand, maintaining strict quality control measures is essential. This study assessed the microbiological and physicochemical quality of five traditional Indian fried snacks—Kerala Murukku, Kerala Mixture, Banana Chips, Tapioca Chips, and Achappam—produced in a Food Safety Management System (FSMS)-certified facility over a four-year period (2020–2023). Products were evaluated for moisture, pH, salt content, acid value, and Total Plate Count (TPC). The number of ingredients for each product was recorded from standardized product formulation documents. TPC levels remained within acceptable limits (below 50,000 CFU/g) across all products. Among them, Kerala Mixture consistently showed the highest microbial counts (up to 4.61 log CFU/g) and Achappam the lowest, with no detectable variance (1.00 log CFU/g). Statistically significant year-wise differences (p < 0.05) were observed in all quality parameters. Kerala Mixture showed variation in salt and microbial load; Kerala Murukku varied in moisture, pH, and salt; while Tapioca Chips varied in moisture and salt. PCA identified that TPC, salt content, number of ingredients, and pH were key contributors to product variability. Cluster analysis confirmed Kerala Mixture as the most susceptible product to contamination risk. These findings provide valuable insights into the quality trends within an FSMS-certified environment and highlight the importance of strict post-processing controls.

Food safety, quality management, and ecologically conscious practices must be successfully integrated throughout supply chains to guarantee the sustainability of organic food systems. There is little empirical data on how these factors interact in various institutional and regulatory contexts, despite the growing significance of the organic sector for sustainable food transitions. This study examines sustainability-focused compliance procedures in Italian and Indian organic food processing businesses. A systematic questionnaire was used to gather primary data from 300 certified organic businesses (150 per nation), and non-parametric statistical methods were used to examine firm-size and cross-country variations. The results show notable differences between the two contexts in terms of food safety rules and sustainability performance. Because of a more developed regulatory framework and more robust enforcement mechanisms, Italian businesses demonstrate greater and more consistent sustainability performance. On the other hand, Indian businesses, especially small ones, show more unpredictability, which suggests that they have limited ability to implement sustainable practices and environmental management. The performance of quality management systems in both nations is similar, indicating the contribution of international certification standards to the harmonisation of quality governance. In contrast to Italy, where they operate as separate operational domains, correlation research shows that sustainability, food safety rules, and quality management are more closely interwoven in Indian businesses. The study emphasises the importance of the company’s size and the regulatory environment in determining how sustainability is integrated into organic food chains. The findings present beneficial guidance for small and medium-sized businesses by highlighting important areas where targeted capacity building and regulatory assistance can improve sustainability and compliance performance and it is one of the first enterprise-level empirical evaluations of food safety rules, quality management, and sustainability in organic food processing across different regulatory contexts. The findings provide actionable insights for small organic processors by highlighting priority areas for targeted regulatory support, technical help, and capacity building to improve the incorporation of sustainability practices.