ActCoFISH is a multidisciplinary project that unites expertise in food science, biopolymer materials, microbiology and sustainable production to achieve a scientific breakthrough to food packaging. Project is focused on active packaging technology that sustainably upgrades abundant biopolymers into high-value active edible coatings for fresh fish. Project is described through 7 scientific goals and is focused on the development and characterisation of new designed biopolymer formulations for edible coatings. ActCoFISH will provide more than just a food coating. F Natural biopolymers will be used as an ideal protective carrier of natural active compounds from Mediterranean plants and by-products of their processing and/or from seaweed. Newly designed biobased formulations will be characterised in detail to create a new paradigm on formulation/structure related properties that are indispensable parameters for effective coating application or their functionality. Furthermore, coatings will be applied on fresh white and blue fish from the Adriatic Sea, an important label of the Croatian economy. The synergistic effect of new active coatings and modified atmosphere packaging will be elaborated. ActCoFISH is driven by still unexplored opportunity to unravel the next generation of active materials for fish packaging.

The research focus of ActCoFISH will be based on the innovative strategies to maintain the quality and freshness of
fresh fish from the Adriatic, through an interdisciplinary scientific approach, whereby active edible coatings
stand out as the main tool of modern science.