Modified atmospheric packaging an emerging non-invasive packaging technique for strawberry preservation- a review

Strawberries are highly perishable due to their soft texture, high respiration rate, and susceptibility to microbial spoilage. Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP) has emerged as a non-invasive preservation strategy to address these limitations while retaining quality. This review aims to critically evaluate the principles, effectiveness, technological advancements, and limitations of MAP in strawberry preservation. It also explores emerging materials, active agents, and modelling tools used to optimize MAP systems. A comprehensive literature review was conducted, focusing on MAP applications in strawberries, including recent innovations such as active MAP, nanocomposite and bio-based films, and complementary treatments like coatings and essential oils. Recent studies on MAP treatment and shelf life extension of the strawberry cultivars at ripening stages have been discussed. The review further highlighted on the application of new techniques such as hyperspectral imaging for different cultivars and maturity stages for shelf life prediction of strawberry fruits subjected to MAP during postharvest handling. A SWOT analysis framework was applied to assess the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and potential threats for MAP's practical implications. Innovations in packaging materials and the integration of smart technologies and predictive models like Pack-in-Map, with IoT (Internet of Things) further enhance MAP's performance. However, challenges remain in terms of material costs, cold chain reliance, and system standardization across different cultivars and environmental conditions. Future research should focus on sustainable packaging material, smart packaging integration, safety validation, and optimizing gas compositions for different strawberry cultivars. Addressing these challenges will be essential for MAP's impacts to waste reduction and environmental sustainability across the food supply chain.