Food packaging systems are continually impacted by the growing demand for minimally processed foods, changing eating habits, and food safety risks. Minimally processed foods are prone to the growth of harmful microbes, compromising quality and safety. As a result, the need for improved food shelf life and protection against foodborne diseases alongside consumer preference for minimally processed foods with no or lesser synthetic additives foster the development of innovative technologies such as antimicrobial packaging. It is a form of active packaging that can release antimicrobial substances to suppress the activities of specific microorganisms, thereby improving food quality and safety during long-term storage. However, antimicrobial packaging continues to be a very challenging technology. This study highlights antimicrobial packaging concepts, providing different antimicrobial substances used in food packaging. We review various types of antimicrobial systems. Emphasis is given to the effectiveness of antimicrobial packaging in various food applications, including fresh and minimally processed fruit and vegetables and meat and dairy products. For the development of antimicrobial packaging, several approaches have been used, including the use of antimicrobial sachets inside packaging, packaging films, and coatings incorporating active antimicrobial agents. Due to their antimicrobial activity and capacity to extend food shelf life, regulate or inhibit the growth of microorganisms and ultimately reduce the potential risk of health hazards, natural antimicrobial agents are gaining significant importance and attention in developing antimicrobial packaging systems. Selecting the best antimicrobial packaging system for a particular product depends on its nature, desired shelf life, storage requirements, and legal considerations. The current review is expected to contribute to research on the potential of antimicrobial packaging to extend the shelf life of food and also serves as a good reference for food innovation information.

Hyperspectral imaging (HSI) is one of the non-destructive quality assessment methods providing both spatial and spectral information. HSI in food quality and safety can detect the presence of contaminants, adulterants, and quality attributes, such as moisture, ripeness, and microbial spoilage, in a non-destructive manner by analyzing spectral signatures of food components in a wide range of wavelengths with speed and accuracy. However, analyzing HSI data can be quite complicated and time consuming, in addition to needing some special expertise. Artificial intelligence (AI) has shown immense promise in HSI for the assessment of food quality because it is so powerful at coping with irrelevant information, extracting key features, and building calibration models. This review has shown various machine learning (ML) approaches applied to HSI for quality and safety control of foods. It covers the basic concepts of HSI, advanced preprocessing methods, and strategies for wavelength selection and machine learning methods. The application of HSI to AI increases the speed with which food safety and quality can be inspected. This happens through automation in contaminant detection, classification, and prediction of food quality attributes. So, it can enable decisions in real-time by reducing human error at food inspection. This paper outlines their benefits, challenges, and potential improvements while again assessing the validity and practical usability of HSI technologies in developing reliable calibration models for food quality and safety monitoring. The review concludes that HSI integrated with state-of-the-art AI techniques has good potential to significantly improve the assessment of food quality and safety, and that various ML algorithms have their strengths, and contexts in which they are best applied.

Cold plasma, an emerging and versatile non-thermal technology, has gained substantial attention, particularly in the domain of surface modification, specifically within the context of packaging films. Recent developments in cold plasma technology have unveiled its potential to improve various aspects of packaged films, including chemical composition, physical attributes, structural characteristics, and overall functionality. These enhancements encompass surface roughness, contact angles, flexibility, thermal stability, barrier properties, and antimicrobial efficacy. The imperative for the advancement and expansion of decay-control technologies is crucial, not only for preserving the quality of fresh fruits and vegetables but also for mitigating biological risks throughout postharvest, processing, and storage. This, in turn, extends the shelf life of these products. This review aims to comprehensively outline the various systems utilized in in-package cold plasma (CP) treatments and their interactions with key parameters that significantly influence the efficacy of the process on fruits and vegetables. In this order, the review furnishes a comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms through which cold plasma impacts the quality characteristics of diverse fruits and vegetables. The review paper examines the potential of cold plasma technology in inhibiting spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms, deactivating enzymes, and altering the physical, mechanical, and chemical characteristics of fresh fruits and vegetables during packaging. Furthermore, It deals with the effect of cold plasma technology on increasing the quality and characteristics of edible films, alongside its utilization as an antimicrobial agent in food packaging.

Pulsed electric field (PEF) is a novel non-thermal treatment for quality retention of fruits and vegetables (F&V) during postharvest processing. PEF helps to microbial control and retain several attributes such as the physical and chemical of F&V. This review outlines requirements and advances in electrical systems applied in PEF for F&V. In addition, it reviews the effect of PEF application on antioxidant activity, color, texture, weight loss, and other chemical properties affecting the shelf life of F&V. Attention is also drawn to the applicability of PEF technology as a pretreatment to assist design in the case of the emergence of sustainable bio-refineries based on F&V. PEF pretreatment enhances the extraction of valuable bioactive compounds and maintains quality characteristics of F&V which include color, phytochemicals, antioxidant capacity, proteins, volatile compounds, and sensory attributes. Furthermore, the current study highlights that electroporation of the cell membrane by PEF treatment enhances mass transfer during the drying and moisture loss processes of F&V. In this context, the extraordinary rapidity of treatment applications leads to considerable reductions in processing time and total energy consumption concerning traditional methods. The adaptability and scalability of PEF secure its application in sizes varying from small-scale operations driven by supermarket demand up to food units. However, PEF has limitations in the postharvest process of F&V due to its potential for the high energy costs associated with the technology. In addition, PEF cannot guarantee the inactivation of all microorganisms, particularly the spores and certain resilient bacterial strains that cause microbial regrowth on storage. Overall, this technology can further increase the yield obtained from extraction and extend shelf life, which is essential for processing facilities and consumers’ benefit.

Soil monitoring is essential for promoting sustainability in agriculture, as it helps prevent degradation and optimize the use of natural resources. The introduction of innovative technologies, such as low-cost sensors and intelligent systems, enables the acquisition of real-time data on soil health, increasing productivity and product quality while reducing waste and environmental impact. This study examines various agricultural monitoring technologies, focusing on soil moisture sensors and nutrient detection, along with examples of IoT-based systems. The main characteristics of these technologies are analyzed, providing an overview of their effectiveness and the key differences among various tools for optimizing agricultural management. The aim of the review is to support an informed choice of the most appropriate sensors and technologies, thus contributing to the promotion of sustainable agricultural practices.