Active Packaging for Retention of Nutrients and Antioxidants

The active packaging system is an additional one-step strategical invention to preserve foods for a longer time. It surpasses the basic functions of packaging alone and endows a supplementary set of compensations over conventional counterparts. It entails a number of components depending on the nature of the commodity. These include several options including scavengers and emitters, which are deliberately added to the foodstuff or kept inside a package to interact with the inner atmosphere or the packed product. However, many times these agents adversely affect the nutritional constituents of the food product. This chapter deals with a brief introduction of such available systems to harness the maximum benefits of active packaging. The influence of such systems on various micronutrients has been discussed at length with specific reference to vitamin C, polyphenols, and antioxidants.