Advances in Pulse and Oil Seed Industry Coproduct-Derived Sustainable Food Packaging: Biopolymers, Additives,...

The demand for sustainable, functional food packaging from agricultural coproducts such as hulls, meals, fibers, gums, and press residues from pulse and oilseed industries is increasing. These secondary streams from crops such as soybean, canola, hemp, sunflower, lentils, peas, beans, and chickpeas are rich in proteins, polysaccharides, lignin, and bioactive compounds, making them promising sources for biopolymers and functional additives. The objective of this review is to discuss the potential of pulse and oilseed coproducts for biodegradable and active packaging, highlight the impact of extraction, modification, and fabrication techniques, examine packaging functionality reported in the literature, and identify research gaps. The literature indicates a need for systematic studies correlating coproduct composition with functional performance and sustainable modification strategies. Protein, polysaccharides, and cellulose fibers can be tailored to produce films, coatings, and molded packaging structures with desirable mechanical, thermal, and barrier properties. Additives from coproducts, including natural plasticizers, nanocellulose reinforcements, antioxidants, emulsifiers, and antimicrobials, enhance packaging performance and enable the development of active, edible, and smart packaging systems. Fabrication methods, such as solvent casting, extrusion, injection molding, compression molding, blow molding, electrospinning, and 3D printing, enable the customization of packaging properties and structures based on the final application. Despite these advancements, challenges remain in industrial adoption, inconsistency in results between published literature, compatibility issues between additives and polymer matrices, high purification costs, and scalability constraints. Effective utilization of agricultural coproducts supports circular bioeconomy principles, reduces reliance on petroleum-based plastics, and paves the way for next-generation, eco-friendly food packaging solutions.