• Packaging has long been known as an effective method of protecting food, but also as a means of optimal product presentation.
Since their first appearance on supermarket shelves, packaging has conveyed the idea of food safety to the consumer. The ability of packaging to maintain the integrity of a product, while also eliminating the risk of cross-contamination, has always been the strong point in the determination of manufacturers to support and develop this sector.
As the global population slowly overcomes the pandemic crisis, it was expected that attention would once again turn to environmental issues often associated with food and beverage packaging. According to experts, an interesting trend has been created in consumer behavior: they take into account both food safety and the environmental impact of the products they purchase.
Manufacturers are currently in a situation where choosing the right packaging is more important than ever. Packaging must balance the needs of the manufacturer, but also the concerns of consumers regarding ethical, hygienic and environmental issues. The optimal packaging, which meets all these conditions, will also represent a way of strengthening a product brand, with companies motivating consumers to prefer products packaged properly and in ecological materials.
Seaweed packaging
Materials researchers from Flinders University, Australia, recently collaborated with the German biomaterials developer One-Five, to produce food packaging materials with a non-polluting biopolymer film.
The new degradable bioplastic film, based on seaweed extract, is designed to replace the plastic film used in the packaging of fat-resistant fast food products, which often contains problematic chemicals such as PFAS (perfluoroalkylated and polyfluoroalkylated).
This new prototype meets the functional requirements of conventional grease-resistant packaging material while being an environmentally friendly solution. One-Five co-founder Claire Gusko says the product will help reduce plastic pollution while using a raw material that supports environmental regeneration.
"Seaweed farming helps to naturally restore marine environments, reduce greenhouse gases and mitigate coastal erosion," says Claire Gusko.
Seaweed extracts – which are native to the coast of South Australia – are transformed, through a patented process, to produce functional biopolymer sheets that can be applied to various surfaces.
"Seaweed extracts have a similar structure to the natural fibers from which paper is made," points out Dr Zhongfan Jia, Principal Researcher at the Flinders Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology. "Our new specialty treatments enhance the grease resistance characteristic of seaweed through simple modifications without affecting the biodegradability or recyclability of the coated paper."
Valorization of PHAs
Recently, several companies globally have used PHAs (polyhydroxyalkanoates – polyesters produced in nature by numerous microorganisms) to produce fully biodegradable straws. According to a recent press release, for biological is the first company to successfully use PHA technology to produce not only straws but also fully biodegradable bags.
Plastic is replaced by PHA, a plant-based alternative, TÜV certified for being biodegradable in both soil and marine environments, adapted for both industrial and small-scale use.
When PHA enters a bioactive environment, i.e. any setting in which living microbes are present, the biodegradation process begins. PHA is a natural source of "combustible" for microbes. When PHA and microbes interact—whether in a compost bin, landfill, or water source—the microbes break down the PHA product entirely, leaving no harmful substances behind, including microplastics.
BIOLO thus helps manufacturers in a variety of industrial sectors with plant-based packaging that offers the same performance, if not better, than petroleum-based plastic packaging.
The rest of the pineapple fruit
In the search for sustainable plastic-like materials, researchers at the University of Alicante, Spain, have developed a packaging material derived from pineapple waste.
Inside the project "Development of natural bioflavors to increase the shelf life of fresh food and reduce food waste", scientists used the core and peel of the pineapple to develop the revolutionary material. According to the researchers, the material has active natural compounds with antioxidant properties. Thus, the use of the material to make the packaging containers helps preserve the food stored in them, increasing their shelf life.
This material is currently being tested for the packaging of fresh food, specifically for raw meat. At the same time, the development team is also investigating the properties of pineapple-derived packaging to preserve the fresh flavor of food, thus improving the sensory experience for consumers.
The ultimate goal of the research team is to obtain from pineapple waste an edible film for the packaging of food industry products.
In conclusion, the studies show that, lately, not only has the demand for sustainable products increased, but consumers are even willing to pay more for the products they purchase, just to reduce their ecological footprint.
However, even though consumers have the best intentions, the price of getting this kind of packaging is still high, and that could be a problem. In the near future, not only will it be difficult to find suitable alternatives to plastic, but also to bring them to market at an affordable price for consumers.
Article written by Gabriela Dan, Editor of Arta Albă
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