Science! New Bioactive Packaging Keeps Strawberries Fresh Up to 12 Days

A recent innovation carries potentially big implications for the food packaging industry thanks to Quebec researcher Monique Lacroix and her team, who have developed a packaging film that can keep strawberries fresh for up to 12 days, Phys.org writes.

The new film, which protects against mold and certain pathogenic bacteria, is made of chitosan, a molecule found in shellfish shells. It also contains essential oils and nanoparticles, both of which possess antimicrobial properties.

The film could be inserted into the blotting paper the industry currently uses for strawberries.

“Essential oil vapors protect strawberries. And if the film comes into contact with strawberries, the chitosan and nanoparticles prevent mold and pathogens from reaching the fruit’s surface,” Lacroix told the website.

Read more at Phys.org.