Research Article EmergencyFoodProductPackagingbyPectin-Based AntimicrobialCoatingsFunctionalizedbyPomegranate PeelExtracts EhsanGhorbani , 1 ArasbDabbaghMoghaddam , 1 AnoushehSharifan , 2 andHosseinKiani 3 1 Department of Health, Aja University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran 2 Department of Food Science and Technology, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran 3 Department of Food Science and Engineering, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran Correspondence should be addressed to Arasb Dabbagh Moghaddam; admoghaddam2@gmail.com Received 2 November 2020; Revised 1 January 2021; Accepted 9 January 2021; Published 20 January 2021 Academic Editor: Hadi Hashemi Gahruie Copyright © 2021 Ehsan Ghorbani et al. is is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Emergency food products (EFPs) or energy bars are used in critical situations, such as natural disasters, to promote crisis management. EFPs require sophisticated packaging strategies. Edible coatings incorporated with natural antimicrobial agents could be considered as active packaging materials for increasing EFP safety. In this study, pectin-based coatings incorporated with pomegranate peel extracts were used to protect energy bars. Initially, total phenolic contents and antimicrobial and antioxidant properties of aqueous and ethanolic pomegranate peel extracts (PPEs) were determined. Also, PPEs were analyzed by HPLC. In the next step, the extracts were incorporated into the matrix of edible coatings as active substances. e sensory properties and microbial contamination of coated energy bars were investigated during 30 days of storage. Sixteen phenolic substances were detected in the extracts with gallic acid, ellagic acid, caffeic acid, coumaric acid, and quercetin as major ingredients. e ethanolic extract exhibited higher concentrations for all phenolic compounds. e results indicated that the ethanolic extract showed inhibitory effects on S. aureus and E. coli at concentrations of 30 and 50 mg/ml, and the aqueous extract’s inhibitory effects were observed at concentrations of 50 and 80 mg/ml, respectively. e antioxidant and antibacterial effects could be attributed to high phenolic content and a combination of different substances. Microbial and sensory tests performed on coated energy bars showed that the active coatings were able to control and reduce the population of microorganisms during storage without adversely affecting sensory properties. 1.Introduction Emergency food products (EFPs) or energy bars are known as processed food products specially designed for emergency conditions like natural disasters [1]. Energy bars are also often consumed as nutritious snacks by people who need a quick energy source, such as athletes with high physical activity. Individuals with nutritional problems or irregular meals can also use energy bars for nourishment. Energy bars boost the body’s energy level and are often used as a substitute for a meal [2]. e EFP must be safe, nutritionally complete, palatable, easy to use, and easy to distribute [3]. In a crisis, due to nu- tritional deficiencies and unsuitable hygienic conditions, it is needed to ensure food products’ safety. Packaging has an es- sential role in protecting food products from environmental contamination, extending shelf life, and minimizing food losses [4]. Novel packaging strategies such as the application of active packaging and edible coatings are gaining increasing attention. Currently, food packaging is mainly done using petroleum- derived materials. However, studies on alternative materials have been raised to reduce the harmful environmental effects of synthetic materials [5]. Hindawi Journal of Food Quality Volume 2021, Article ID 6631021, 10 pages https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/6631021