Bio-Based Food Packaging Wrap Extends Shelf Life of Avocados, Cucumbers

Avocado and cucumber wrapped in bio-based films. — Yang Li, first author of the Science Advances paper, holds avocado and cucumbers wrapped in bio-based plastic wrap.

A team of University of Maryland chemical engineers studying ways to leverage AI to improve post-harvest preservation have developed a new biodegradable food packaging material that protects produce from spoilage, significantly increasing its shelf life by two times.

Researchers in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering led by Associate Professor Po-Yen Chen have developed an AI-powered design platform to create sustainable wrapping materials for food packaging. The research, which demonstrated the integrated use of robotic automation and AI predictions to enhance produce life, was published today in the journal Science Advances.

A challenge in the adoption of bio-based alternatives to plastic food packaging, failed and lengthy research and development processes, has enabled the reliance of the standard plastic wraps that are derived from petrochemical components—which exacerbate the environmental footprint of plastics and do not offer antimicrobial formulas to protect produce from spoilage.

To address this issue, Chen’s research team developed an integrated design workflow system consisting of automated robots, machine learning predictions and chemical engineering processes to develop a formulation that accomplished the team’s goal—creating a bio-based material with the mechanical strength of plastic wrap that extends the shelf life of avocados and cucumbers.

“Food packaging needs to do more than replace plastic, it also needs to protect the food inside,” said Chen. “By combining AI with robotic experimentation, we can accelerate the development of bio-based materials that help keep produce fresh and reduce food waste.”

Their experiments showed how Hass avocados wrapped in the bio-based packaging remained fresh for seven days when stored at room temperature, when compared to the spoiled, unpackaged avocados. Similarly, the team also demonstrated that cucumbers packaged into the standard Low-density polyethylene (LDPE) plastic wrap presented significantly more signs of spoilage by day 15 than those that were wrapped with the bio-based material.

Comparison of rotten avocado and fresh avocado wrapped in bio-based film after 15 days.

Currently, the newly developed eco-friendly packaging has antimicrobial properties that can protect produce such as avocados and cucumbers, but the team is working to extend the technology to other varieties such as fruits and vegetables. Additionally, the researchers released their AI design platform to the research community to allow for wide usage.

Media contact: Daniela Benites
Communications Coordinator
dbenites@umd.edu

Published October 28, 2026