Fresher foods with FRESHFILM packaging
The food processing and plastic packaging sectors generate over EUR 150 billion per year. With strong competition, as well as pressure from consumers for better quality, these industries require continuous innovation. FRESHFILM was a research initiative dedicated to creating a novel, highly functional film for food packaging. The film was intended to be recyclable or reusable, and would extend the product life of meat, vegetables, salads and pasta. One of the main reasons for food spoilage is the presence of oxygen, so packaging should ideally create an oxygen-poor environment around products. For FRESHFILM, scientists selected an oxygen scavenging system composed of natural extracts and a biodegradable layer, which is appropriately transparent, viscose and adhesive. To further minimise the presence of oxygen, the team developed a water-based, non-porous coating that can be applied to a polyethylene film. This coating results in an oxygen barrier that is 1 807 times more effective than commercially available polymer. Effectively, FRESHFILM prevents lipid oxidation of packaged products and decreases the presence of microbial populations that can cause spoilage. Depending on the type of food, researchers say that the film can extend shelf life by up to 10 %. In terms of recyclability, the scientists showed that by pelleting the film, it can be transformed into black litter bags. Alternatively, parts of the film can be recovered and reintegrated into food packaging film as a raw material. The improved shelf life and recyclability offered by FRESHFILM promises both commercial and environmental benefits. The success of the research has led to a patent draft, and the industrial project partners have expressed further interest.
