Packaging from essential oils and natural substances to extend the life of strawberries

Antimicrobial packaging made with essential oils and natural substances that can keep 'Favette' strawberries fresh for up to 12 days. This is the result, which opens up new frontiers in food preservation by paving the way for plastic reduction, of research carried out by ENEA researchers with the University of Tuscia and the company Ilip.

An initiative that, as the promoters emphasise, aims to promote food safety and quality, reduce the environmental impact of the distribution chain and valorise Italy's agri-food heritage.

The project represents a significant step towards the realisation of sustainable and safe packaging, contributing to the valorisation of Italian agricultural products," commented Annamaria Bevivino, research manager of the Sustainable Agrifood Systems Division of ENEA's Department of Sustainability, Circularity and Adaptation to Climate Change in Productive and Territorial Systems. "Furthermore, the adoption of biodegradable and compostable packaging reduces the environmental impact, improves the preservation of products and increases their quality, guaranteeing consumers fresh and nutritious strawberries for a longer period of time.

The starting point of the experiment was the Favette variety of strawberry, 'typical of the Lazio region and included in the national list of traditional agri-food products' and considered 'an excellence of Italian products for its high levels of bioactive compounds, phenols and micronutrients'. "However," Enea stresses, "its high perishability limits its distribution and preservation along the supply chain". Hence the project. "In order to combat the susceptibility of strawberries to food pathogens, the researchers have conducted advanced analyses by selecting quality and safety markers to assess the effectiveness of strategies involving the combination of different natural antimicrobial compounds, such as chitosan, nisin and gallium," argue the ENEA. "Thanks to the collaboration with the Iba institute in Bucharest, it has also been possible to chemically characterise the new packaging, so as to ensure the safety of the materials for fruit and vegetable use and their compliance with EU regulations.

At the end of the study the result: 'In addition to prolonging the shelf-life of 'Favette' strawberries by up to 12 days, the research demonstrated the effectiveness of the bactericidal action of essential oils combined with probiotics and postbiotics,' the research agency continues. In fact, microbiological analyses showed a significantly higher bacterial and fungal load in untreated strawberry samples'.