Unlikely Prospects: Food security made possible by… food

The “Unlikely Perspectives” series shines a spotlight on unusual, thought-provoking research topics.

What if food held the key to improving its own preservation? This is the premise driving the research of Seyedeh Elmira Moosavi, a PhD student in biology at Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS). 

Seyedeh Elmira Moosavi’s work focuses on exploring innovative solutions to improve food safety. Through advanced active packaging technologies, she hopes to assure food safety, extend shelf life and maintain food quality in a greener way. 

To this end, Seyedeh Elmira Moosavi is developing formulations based on extracts of sugar maple leaves, broccoli stalks and onion skins, plant waste known for its antifungal properties. She’s also exploring the natural antimicrobial and antifungal properties of these food scraps, when mixed with essential oils and silver nanoparticles and immobilized in a biosourced bioactive and biodegradable packaging, to ensure the safety and extend the shelf life of fresh cruciferous vegetables. 

“The synergistic effects of these formulations are an environmentally friendly alternative to synthetic preservatives,” she explains. “This discovery could pave the way for commercial applications in the food industry, lengthening the shelf life of fresh produce without the use of harmful chemicals.”  

Seyedeh Elmira Moosavi, PhD student in biology at INRS

The formulations developed in Seyedeh Elmira Moosavi’s study are based on a controlled-release system, in which silver nanoparticles and natural antimicrobials are incorporated into biosourced, biodegradable active films. The objective? To enable the active ingredients to be released gradually, ensuring sustained antifungal activity over time—a natural and effective way of preserving food while meeting the current need to reduce plastic waste.  

Seyedeh Elmira Moosavi’s research therefore kills three birds with one stone by reusing food components that would otherwise be thrown away, preserving food with more natural packaging, and avoiding waste by extending shelf life and reducing plastic packaging waste. 

But beyond food safety, Seyedeh Elmira Moosavi’s broader aim is to improve human health. 

“I’m particularly interested in the medical and pharmaceutical fields, which is why I plan to continue my work on some of the pathogens I’m currently studying, this time applied to humans. Could the formulations I’ve developed work against pathogens in our bodies?”  

Seyedeh Elmira Moosavi

Student profile

Seyedeh Elmira Moosavi’s thesis, entitled “Development of nanocomposite films incorporating antifungal natural extracts and AgNPs for enhanced safety and extended shelf life of fresh cruciferous vegetables,” is being conducted under the supervision of Professor Monique Lacroix, a specialist in applied food science at INRS, based at the Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie Research Centre.  

Seyedeh Elmira Moosavi holds a master’s degree in organic chemistry from the Isfahan University of Technology in Iran and a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Shiraz University, where she graduated at the top of her class. She has extensive expertise in analytical chemistry, antimicrobial testing, and nanomaterials, and is proficient in advanced techniques. She has served as a research assistant and received an award for her lecturing skills. She has also received multiple awards for academic excellence and scientific communication, including two scholarships of excellence for her scientific papers from the Iran Nanotechnology Initiative Council. 

LinkedIn 

ResearchGate