PVC in food packaging: challenges and prospects of date seeds as natural antimicrobial agents – a review

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is the most widely used material in food packaging production. It is approved for use in food contact applications worldwide, and numerous PVC/additive mixtures are already listed on European incomplete additive lists, such as those described in EC Directive 2002/72 and its following amendments. However, the use of PVC in contact-sensitive applications, such as food packaging, as advised by the Zero Waste Europe office, raises serious concerns. However, phasing out PVC in packaging limits consumer choice without providing environmental benefits. Currently, common natural antimicrobials found in food packaging include lysozymes, organic acids, bacteriocins, essential oils, chitosan, grapefruit seed extract, allyl isothiocyanate, and polysaccharides. The production of natural antimicrobial films involves either direct coating or the incorporation of synthetic or natural antimicrobial agents into the film. Although many natural antimicrobial agents have received a generally recognized as safe (GRAS) designation, cost and scalability continue to be significant challenges to expanding their use. In price-sensitive markets, natural antimicrobials are less practical due to their high production costs. Date seeds are considered potential prototypes for developing novel, affordable, and safe antimicrobial films. They include bioactive substances with antiviral, antibacterial, and antioxidant qualities. Additionally, date seeds are a source of oil rich in phenols, tocopherols, and phytosterols. This review discusses the nature, biocompatibility, and properties of the most common antimicrobial agents in enriched PVC films. It also emphasizes how date seeds can be used as organic microbiological materials to preserve food during packing. Since date seeds are a low-value byproduct, their disposal is costly, making their utilization economically advantageous.