Special Issue on food packaging

Sustainable food packaging: bridging climate action and food security

Packaging plays a critical role in maintaining the physicochemical and microbiological integrity of food products, thereby preserving their quality and nutritional value throughout the food supply chain. By providing a controlled environment that protects against physical damage, microbial contamination, moisture loss, oxidation, and other degradative processes, packaging significantly extends the shelf life of perishable items. This prolongation of product usability reduces the frequency and volume of food spoilage and waste across production, distribution, and consumption stages. Consequently, by minimizing post-harvest and retail losses, effective food packaging contributes directly to improving food availability and accessibility, which are key dimensions of global food security. However, the production, transportation, and disposal of packaging materials, especially single-use plastics and non-recyclable composites, contribute substantially to greenhouse gas emissions throughout their life cycle. On the other hand, the extraction of raw materials, energy-intensive manufacturing processes, and the incineration or landfilling of packaging waste all add to the carbon footprint of the food system. Furthermore, improper disposal of packaging, particularly plastic, can lead to environmental degradation, which in turn affects agricultural productivity by contaminating soil and water sources. In low- and middle-income countries, limited waste management infrastructure exacerbates these problems, creating a feedback loop where environmental harm undermines long-term food security. To address this, sustainable packaging innovations and circular economy approaches like biodegradable materials could improve recycling systems and reusable containers which are crucial for reducing the environmental impact of packaging while supporting resilient and equitable food systems. This special issue delves on the emergent research prospects in food packaging and its role in both climate change and food security.

 

We invite researchers to contribute their research papers related to the topics, but not limited to:

• Impact of smart and active packaging in reducing food waste
• Circular economy strategies in food packaging
• Consumer behavior toward eco-friendly packaging
• Sustainable Packaging in Smallholder Agriculture
• Life cycle assessment (LCA) of food packaging materials
• Consumer behavior toward eco-friendly packaging
• Plastic pollution and its secondary effect on food systems
• Impact of climate policies on food packaging industries

 

Timelines:

-Submission of manuscript opens:                                 May 1, 2025

-Deadline for manuscript submission:                            December 30, 2025

 

Submission guidelines:

The journal's Guide for Authors on how to prepare a paper is available at:

 https://qascf.com/index.php/qas/guidelines

 

Papers must be submitted electronically via

https://mc03.manuscriptcentral.com/qascf

To ensure that all manuscripts are correctly identified for inclusion in the special issue, it is important to select Section “food packaging”.

Any inquiries regarding the content of papers should be submitted to:

 

GUEST EDITORS

Dr. Slim SMAOUI

Editorial Member in QASCF

E-mail: slim.smaoui@cbs.rnrt.tn; slim.smaoui@yahoo.fr

Associate Professor

Laboratory of Microbial and Enzymes Biotechnology and Biomolecules (LMEBB), Centre of Biotechnology of Sfax (CBS), University of Sfax-Tunisia, Road of Sidi Mansour Km 6, P. O. Box 1177, 3018, Sfax, Tunisia

Among World's Top 2% Scientist by Stanford University, USA 2024

 

Pr. Theodoros VARZAKAS

Editorial Member in QASCF

Email: t.varzakas@uop.gr; theovarzakas@yahoo.gr

Department of Food Science and Technology, University of the Peloponnese, Antikalamos, 24100 Kalamata, Greece

Among World's Top 2% Scientist by Stanford University, USA 2021-2024