Development of a sustainable antimicrobial biopolymer film for preventing post-harvest food spoilage.

Food loss and waste remain a major global challenge, with nearly one-third of all food produced annually being discarded or wasted, while conventional plastic-based packaging continues to exacerbate environmental pollution and microplastic accumulation. Here, we report the development of a biodegradable antimicrobial active packaging material by conjugating antimicrobial peptides with collagen integrated onto gallic acid grafted with chitosan. The engineered biomaterial exhibited potent antimicrobial activity against food spoilage associated bacterial pathogens while maintaining excellent biocompatibility and edibility. Physicochemical characterization demonstrated mechanical strength, thermal stability and film forming properties highlighting its suitability for the development of food packaging applications. Notably, the material was effective in preserving the texture, colour, freshness and nutritional value of the tested fruits for up to 20 days and vegetables up to 15 days while extending the refrigerated (2-4 °C) shelf life of meat up to 24 days. In addition, the material underwent complete biodegradability in soil within 16 days demonstrating its environmental sustainability. Collectively, this study presents a scalable approach for developing next-generation sustainable packaging materials that have the potential for enhanced food preservation, reduced postharvest losses and mitigate plastic associated environmental burden.