In 2009, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations announced that food production must increase by 70 percent by 2050 to meet the food needs of 9 billion people worldwide.

In the agricultural industry, the process of producing products does not end with harvesting. Around one third of all fruits and vegetables never reach the consumer worldwide. On average, 20 to 50 percent of agricultural products turn into waste from the stage of harvesting to consumption. Many factors contribute to post-harvest waste of fresh fruits and vegetables. Biochemical factors in plant tissues include respiration and ethylene production, while external stress factors include mechanical damage, water scarcity, and microbes, both of which significantly affect the quality of the product, such as color, texture, taste, and nutritional value. In industrialized countries, it is estimated that about 20 to 25 percent of harvested fruits are rapidly spoiled due to improper packaging during transportation and by pathogens. The rate of spoilage depends on environmental conditions, including temperature, relative humidity, air speed, and atmospheric composition (concentration of oxygen, carbon dioxide, ethylene).

The use of new technology to reduce waste and prevent damage between the time of harvest and consumption of agricultural products is very necessary and important. Considering that fruits and vegetables spoil quickly after harvesting and experience a decline in quality, proper packaging is one of the suitable ways to increase shelf life and maintain quality while reducing waste of agricultural products.

Currently, in advanced countries, instead of increasing the area under cultivation of agricultural products, there is more emphasis on reducing the volume of post-harvest waste through the use of modern technologies. Researchers' results show that choosing appropriate packaging for products can increase the shelf life of fruits and vegetables by 300 to 800 percent. One of the most important innovations in this field is active packaging, which is rapidly developing.

Active packaging (AP) is an innovative packaging method in which the product and the external environment are in balance with each other, leading to longer shelf life and better preservation of product quality.

In 1989, Labuza and Breen introduced the use of active packaging (AP) for the long-term preservation of food. He also used the term smart packaging, fresh-keeping, for active packaging.

Fresh products breathe like living organisms. During the respiration of fruits and vegetables, sugars and oxygen are converted into carbon dioxide, water, and heat, leading to the breakdown of carbohydrates and spoilage factors. In other words, respiration causes aging and spoilage of fresh products.

In active packaging, active effective materials are incorporated into the polymer walls of the packaging. In this method, active materials can absorb oxygen, ethylene, moisture, carbon dioxide, antimicrobial agents, flavors, and odors inside the packaging and release carbon dioxide, antimicrobial agents, antioxidants, and flavors through the packaging wall, which increases the shelf life and preserves the quality of food products.

Active and smart packaging to reduce losses of fruits and vegetables after harvest.

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