Future directions for multifunctional preservation technologies in food preservation: A review

Abstract

In the face of declining natural resources, food spoilage represents a significant challenge that impacts both public health and economic stability. Spoilage occurs at various stages prior to consumption, underscoring the urgent need for the implementation of advanced preservation technologies. The spoilage of fruits, vegetables, and other food products primarily results from respiration, mechanical injury, and microbial contamination. Preservation techniques include thermal processing, ozone treatment, ultrasound application, pulsed electric fields, freezing methods, coating strategies, among others. The approaches prolong shelf life by modulating storage conditions and suppressing microbial proliferation. A review of contemporary advanced preservation technologies was conducted, highlighting the advantages of various methods and offering directions requiring modification. The discussion focused on the application of coating and film technologies in the preservation of fruits and vegetables. The objective was to narrow down these technological improvements to develop commercial, broad-spectrum, multifunctional preservation coatings or films that exhibit antimicrobial properties and facilitate the detection of agricultural residues, thereby advancing the development of food preservation in the food and crop sectors.