MMFS PhD Candidate Dewduni Premarathne

Researchers from Murdoch University's School of Medical, Molecular and Forensic Sciences (MMFS) and Food Futures Institute have published a new review examining how vegetable processing by-products can be transformed into biodegradable food packaging materials.

Published in Foods, the review brings together recent advances in the use of vegetable residues, including peels, stalks, seeds and pomace, as sources of valuable compounds for biodegradable films.

The publication, led by Dewduni Premarathne and co-authored by Xiaoyang He, Suwimol Chockchaisawasdee and Costas Stathopoulos, highlights opportunities to convert food-processing waste into value-added products while reducing reliance on conventional plastic packaging.

As global demand grows for more sustainable packaging solutions, vegetable processing residues are attracting increasing attention as a renewable source of natural polymers and bioactive compounds. The review examines emerging extraction technologies, including ultrasound-assisted, microwave-assisted and enzyme-assisted methods, that can improve the recovery of these valuable materials.

The team also explore how compounds recovered from vegetable by-products can enhance the strength, barrier properties, antioxidant activity and antimicrobial performance of biodegradable packaging films.

The research aligns with Murdoch University's commitment to developing innovative solutions for sustainable food systems and advancing circular economy approaches. By identifying ways to repurpose agricultural and food-processing residues, the work highlights how materials traditionally considered waste may contribute to the development of environmentally responsible packaging technologies.

The review additionally identifies current challenges and future research priorities needed to support wider adoption of biodegradable packaging materials derived from vegetable residues.

The article, Valorization of Vegetable Processing Residues for Functional Biodegradable Films in Sustainable Food Packaging, was published in the journal Foods as part of the Special Issue Value-Added Utilization of Agri-Food By-Products for the Manufacture of Biodegradable Food Packaging Films.

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Citation

Premarathne D, He X, Chockchaisawasdee S & Stathopoulos C (2026). Valorization of Vegetable Processing Residues for Functional Biodegradable Films in Sustainable Food Packaging. Foods, 15(15), 2737.