Bioactive Components Structure and Their Applications in Active Packaging for Shelf Stability Enhancement

Active packaging, one of the new food packaging concepts, is defined as an “interactive, smart” packaging system that senses the changes in the package or environmental conditions and changes the package conditions in which the food is located. In active packaging systems, various active ingredients are added to the packaging material as an intermediate layer or by placing them in separate tablets or sachets in the package, giving the package some additional functions. While the packaging material used in traditional packaging methods acts as a barrier that only protects the food from external factors to a certain extent, the active ingredients used in the active packaging system ensure product quality and extend shelf life. Active packaging systems increase the shelf life of foods by limiting the transfer of oxygen, moisture, and flavoring substances from the food to the environment or from the environment and by providing antimicrobial activity.