Nano-Engineered Edible Coatings for Enhancing Shelf-Life and Nutritional Stability of Energy-Dense Foods in Military Operational Rations: A Systematic Review

Energy-dense foods are essential components of military operational rations due to their high caloric value and compact form. However, their high fat content makes them vulnerable to lipid oxidation, moisture migration, and microbial spoilage, particularly under harsh storage and environmental conditions. Nano-engineered edible coatings have recently emerged as an innovative approach within active food packaging systems to address these challenges. This systematic review evaluates the effectiveness of nano-engineered edible coatings in improving shelf-life, nutritional stability, and safety of energy-dense foods relevant to military operational rations. A systematic literature search was conducted in Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, and ScienceDirect databases for studies published between ۲۰۱۰ and ۲۰۲۴. Following defined inclusion and exclusion criteria, ۳۸ studies were selected for qualitative analysis. The reviewed evidence indicates that edible coatings based on biopolymers such as chitosan, alginate, and protein matrices, enhanced with nano-scale antioxidants or antimicrobial agents, significantly reduced oxygen and moisture permeability, delayed lipid oxidation, and improved microbial safety. These effects were particularly pronounced in high-fat food matrices similar to those used in military rations. Nano-engineered edible coatings appear to be a promising strategy for enhancing food reliability and nutritional readiness in military and emergency settings, although further field-based and long-term safety studies are required.

Keywords:

Nano-engineered coatings , Edible coatings , Energy-dense foods , Military rations , Systematic review