Probiotic-loaded edible films made from proteins, polysaccharides, and prebiotics as a quality factor for minimally processed fruits and vegetables: A review

Minimally processed fruits and vegetables (MPFVs) are gaining popularity in households because of their freshness, convenience, and rapid consumption, all of which align with today's busy lifestyles. However, their exposure of large surface areas during peeling and slicing can result in contamination by foodborne pathogens and spoilage bacteria, posing potential food safety concerns. In addition, enzymatic browning of MPFVs can significantly reduce their consumer appeal. Therefore, it is necessary to adopt certain methods to protect MPFVs. Recent studies have shown that utilizing biopolymer-based edible films containing probiotics is a promising approach to preserving MPFVs. These active food packaging films exhibit barrier function, antioxidant function, and antimicrobial function while protecting the viability of probiotics, which is essential to maintain the nutritional value and quality of MPFVs. This paper reviews microbial contamination in MPFVs and the preparation of probiotic-loaded edible films with common polysaccharides (alginate, gellan gum, and starch), proteins (zein, gelatin, and whey protein isolate), prebiotics (oligofructose, inulin, and fructooligosaccharides). It also explores the potential application of probiotic-loaded biopolymer films/coatings on MPFVs, and finally examines the practical application requirements from a consumer perspective.