This study presents an innovative, sustainable approach to valorising strawberry byproducts by extracting phenolic antioxidants using optimised subcritical water extraction. The purified compounds were incorporated into chitosan-based edible coatings, creating an active, biobased solution that significantly reduced fungal infection and improved fruit firmness during storage.

Notably, this is the first demonstration that bioactive molecules recovered from strawberry plant waste can be reused to protect the corresponding fresh fruit, while also biopolymers from bioconversion were used. It represents the first practical application of the PLAMINPACK biocircular concept, showcasing a closed-loop strategy for food waste valorisation and fruit preservation.