Fruit Seeds and Peels for Sustainable Biomaterials

Sneh Punia Bangar is an assistant professor in the Department of Packaging Science and Graphic Media at Rochester Institute of Technology, New York. Prior to this appointment, she worked as a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Food, Nutrition, and Packaging Sciences at Clemson University, SC, USA. Her research focuses on the design and development of sustainable biopolymer-based films, coatings, and packaging materials derived from starch, cellulose, lignin, and other natural polymers. A key aspect of her research is adding value to agricultural and food industry waste by extracting functional biopolymers with applications in food and packaging. She has authored or coauthored more than 100 research/review articles, 15 authored/edited books, 35 book chapters, and 20 conference proceedings/seminars. She is also the associate editor of the Journal of Food Measurement and Characterization (Springer), an editorial board member of the International Journal of Food Science and Technology (Wiley), academic editor of the Journal of Food Quality (Hindawi), and a section editor of Current Food Science and Technology Reports (Springer). Her significant contributions to academia and research were acknowledged with the “Award of Honour” in 2019 for her outstanding achievements. She is the recipient of the GSG Outstanding Graduate Research Assistant (2022) and CAFLS Outstanding Graduate Student Research Award (2023) at Clemson University, USA. Dr. Bangar received the “Professor Gurcharan Bains Award” from the Association of Food Scientists & Technologists (India) in 2023 for her incredible contribution to Food Science and Technology. In addition, she has been listed (2023 and 2024) in “World Ranking of Top 2% Scientists,” published by Stanford University, USA. Dr. Bangar was awarded Clemson University’s Distinguished Postdoctoral Fellow Award for 2024. She has an H-index of 72 with ~15000 citations, as per Google Scholar. Yuthana Phimolsiripol currently serves as an Associate Professor and Dean of the Faculty of Agro-Industry at Chiang Mai University (CMU), Thailand. He is a leading academic in food technology and product development. His research interests include cereal and starch technologies, shelflife simulation, functional foods, innovative processing methods, glycemic index, and product development. Under his leadership, FIN CMU has developed strong capacity in extraction technologies, drying systems, packaging innovations, and pilot-scale facilities. As an academic scholar, Dr. Yuthana actively contributes to the scientific community by serving as editor or editorial board member for prestigious journals such as International Journal of Food Science and Technology, Journal of Food Processing and Preservation, Scientific Reports, Frontiers in Nutrition, and Quality Assurance and Safety of Crops & Foods. He also acts as a peer reviewer for over 500 manuscripts across numerous international journals. He holds several honors and awards for research excellence, including the title of “Outstanding Researcher” at his faculty in 2024, as well as recognition for contributions to innovation and science. His extensive publication record includes articles on ultrasound-assisted extraction, food bioprocessing, value-added products from agricultural by-products, and emerging food technologies. Given his strong academic credentials, leadership experience, research productivity, and technical capacity, Dr. Yuthana is exceptionally well placed to lead CMU’s participation in international cooperation projects. In addition, he has been listed (2024) in the “World Ranking of Top 2% Scientists,” published by Stanford University, USA. He has an H-index of 33 with ~3600 citations, as per SCOPUS.

• 1. Fruit waste: Seeds, peels, and kernels for packaging2. Extraction and characterization of biomaterials from fruit seeds and peels3. Valorization of mango wastes for sustainable biomaterials4. Upcycling of peach pits for cellulose and lignin5. Valorization of plum seeds for packaging biomaterials6. Date seeds for food packaging applications7. Upcycling of jackfruit peel waste for bio-inspired sustainable food packaging, promisingly integrated with hydrophilic and/or hydrophobic natural deep eutectic solvents8. Upcycling of pomegranate peels in sustainable packaging9. Valorization of apple pomace for food packaging10. Valorization of grape pomace for packaging applications11. Banana peel waste: An emerging cellulosic material for packaging applications12. Citrus fruit peels: A sustainable bioresource for packaging13. Durian fruit rinds for packaging application