Recycling of Pouteria campechiana pericarp waste for production of edible fresh-keeping film and its preservation effect on tilapia meat

Agricultural waste is a significant global waste issue, and current methods for handling agricultural waste often have negative environmental impacts. In the context of "emission peak" and "carbon neutrality" in the world, the reuse of agricultural waste is of great significance. In this study, an edible film for food preservation packaging was developed, which uses Pouteria campechiana pericarp waste as the substrate, Carboxymethyl cellulose as the film-forming agent, and curcumin as the antibacterial preservative. The optimal performance of the film was obtained when the Carboxymethyl cellulose concentration in this fresh-keeping film was 0.8 wt% and the curcumin concentration was 200 mg kg-1. Curcumin and Carboxymethyl cellulose in the film have synergistic antibacterial effect and can kill microorganisms on the surface of tilapia meat. The film extended the shelf life of tilapia meat by three days at 25 °C. The safety and edibility of the film were demonstrated by incorporating it into the feed and administering it to mice, with no observed adverse reactions in the mice. This study underscores the potential of utilizing agricultural waste for the development of eco-friendly packaging films, thereby mitigating carbon emissions. Such advancements can serve as a foundation for creating more environmentally sustainable food packaging strategies.