Food by-products for food packaging materials
Consumers are increasingly concerned about the ways in which packaging of edible products affect both their health and the environment. A large European consortium initiated the ‘Ecoefficient biodegradable composite advanced packaging’ (Ecobiocap) project to develop next-generation packaging for fresh and perishable foods using only biological constituents of by-products from the food industry itself. Extensive processing has raised concern in the past as the building blocks of new packaging materials become quite removed from their biological origin and are often ‘reconstituted’ with chemical additives. Partners are developing novel processing methods for these by-products which avoid ‘over-processing’ of the biological constituents. With these methods, scientists are customising packaging of fruits, vegetables, cheeses and ready-to-eat meals for minimised cost and environmental impact with maximised safety. The consortium is simultaneously developing a decision support system (DSS). The service will be available to all stakeholders along the entire packaging chain together with demonstration activities by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Overall, Ecobiocap aims to ensure that consumers are well informed regarding benefits of usage and proper disposal of biodegradable packaging. Scientists have prepared a preliminary set of packaging specifications including quality and safety of individual products. They have also completed the first modules of the DSS supporting package design. Having produced or extracted the three main constituents for use in packaging, the team is now in the process of producing and testing finalised packaging materials. One material has already demonstrated a significant reduction in oxygen permeability, indicating a promising application to barrier packaging. By using biological by-products from the food processing industry in biodegradable packaging for fresh foods, Ecobiocap is developing truly sustainable packaging solutions that ensure food quality and safety at a low cost.
