Preserving Freshness in Bell Peppers: Innovative Packaging Solutions to Prolonged Shelf Life

Every year, a significant portion of the vegetable harvest is lost due to improper packaging conditions, resulting in extensive economic, food security and environmental losses. Without proper packaging, fresh produce is vulnerable to spoilage before it reaches consumers, leading to waste and financial losses for farmers. Due to their high nutritional value, bell peppers are a popular and commercially valuable produce. Their phytochemical content, including flavonoids, carotenoids, and vitamin C, contribute to health benefits, driving strong consumer demand. Bell peppers are consumed in various forms, including whole, sliced, and dried. This review illustrates various strategies to prevent the spoilage of bell peppers, including pre-and post-packaging treatments, novel packaging materials, modified atmosphere packaging (MAP), active packaging, packaging with antimicrobial agents, and the potential of nanotechnology and chitosan coatings to extend shelf life. These techniques promise to increase food safety and reduce waste in Iran's bell pepper industry.

کلیدواژه ها:

Bell pepper ، Bell pepper in Iran ، Bell pepper shelf-life ، Food security ، long-lasting packaging ، Vegetable packaging