The ecological transition is leading industry towards the use of materials of natural origin, which are often proposed for food contact materials as a sustainable solution to reduce plastic use. They are perceived as safe by consumers; however, a strict control on potential contaminants able to migrate to food and beverages is necessary to assess safety. Thus, the development of analytical methods for the detection and the identification of potentially occurring harmful substances is strongly encouraged, and the combination of different techniques can be a solution to obtain complementary information. In this work, GC-MS, HPLC-MS, ATR-IR and ESEM have been exploited with the aim of monitoring both volatile and non-volatile compounds, and to control surface composition and morphology. Extraction with solvent and migration experiments with simulants were performed on 11 commercial samples, including plates, caps, and wooden coffee stirrers. Global and specific migration studies were carried out, and possible differences before and after use were explored. Analysis after solvent extraction confirmed the presence of additives, and of Non-Intentionally-Added Substances (NIAS) that were also found in migration studies. Data on morphological characterisation were useful to control the item composition, and to check the stability of the materials after repeated use.

Packaging has the main role of protecting a product during storage, and the material selected for packaging has a crucial role in shelf-life control. In recent years, according to the recent European regulations on plastics, different materials have been proposed with the aim of reducing the use of fossil-based packaging. In the present work, the storage of tomato by-product powders dried at different temperatures (40 and 70 °C), in different types of packaging (plastic bag, bioplastic bag, edible active film, and edible active film enriched with antioxidants) was monitored for 11 months. Several analytical approaches were used to characterize the properties of the product after drying treatment. Oxidative stability was evaluated through the Oxitest reactor; bioactive compounds content, such as total phenolic and percentage of total antioxidant capacity, were assessed through spectrophotometric assays; high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry analysis was employed for β-carotene and lycopene contents monitoring. Results showed a progressive reduction in all parameters, with slight differences in the behavior of the aliquots stored in the different materials. Samples stored in bioplastic showed a higher retention of phenolic compounds and antioxidant capacity at early storage stages, whereas conventional plastic and active packaging exhibited comparable or improved performance at later stages, depending on the analytical parameter considered.

Oxidative stress is one of the main factors affecting food stability; therefore, antioxidant additives are generally used as food supplements for shelf-life improvement. In this work, the use of an antioxidant gel based on natural polysaccharides was tested on different types of meat, such as hamburger, beef steak, and horse fillet. The oxidative stability was measured on minced meat by Oxitest reactor, an automated tool performing accelerated shelf-life analysis by monitoring the fat oxidation process. The primary and secondary shelf-life of the gel was evaluated by DPPH assay. The effect of the gel on meat shelf-life was examined by colorimetry providing information about the color variation (∆E) during time. Treated meats showed lower color variation compared to untreated samples. Moreover, some color coordinates were selected as markers to follow the oxidation phenomenon. In conclusion, the antioxidant gel was found to preserve meat from oxidation, increasing stability during shelf-life.

Artichoke by-products (ABP) represent valuable sources of bioactive compounds with relevant health benefits. In this study, a green extraction strategy based on pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) was optimized to enhance the recovery of phenolic and flavonoid compounds from ABP using a response surface methodology. Extraction temperature and solvent composition were identified as the key factors driving extraction performance. Optimal conditions using a mixture of ethyl acetate and ethanol (90/10, v/v) at 180 °C significantly enhanced extraction yield, total phenolic and flavonoid content, and antioxidant activities, as measured by ORAC and DPPH assays. Chemical characterization via HPLC-C18-Q-TOF-MS/MS revealed a diverse profile of phenolic and flavonoid compounds, including caffeoylquinic acid derivatives and related transformation products. The neuroprotective potential of the optimized extract was further evaluated through in vitro inhibition assays targeting acetylcholinesterase (AChE), butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) and lipoxygenase (LOX), alongside a permeability assessment using an in vitro blood–brain barrier (BBB) model. Molecular docking simulations were performed to explore the interactions of apigenin—the most representative flavonoid in the optimal extract—with the three target enzymes. Overall, these findings support the valorization of ABP as a source of bioactive compounds and highlight the potential of PLE as an efficient and sustainable extraction approach.