Final Report Summary - FRESHFILM (New Active Recyclable Packaging with Natural Antioxidising for the extension of the fresh food shelf live)
FRESHFILM has created a highly-functional (active) film food packaging that will strongly serve two main end-user communities: food processing industry and plastic packaging industry (meat processing vs. fresh food processing). These are mature sectors which create annual revenues in Europe in EUR 147 billion and EUR 12 billion respectively and require continues innovation to differentiate in a strong-competition market and to attend a consumer demand with increasing level of quality exigency.
FRESHFILM solve the main concerns regarding flexible packaging market: product time life, plastic weight and multilayer recycling by extending fresh-food life time, reducing the weight of packaging and enabling recovery, recycling or reusing of the materials in the packaging, according to the Directive on Packaging and Packaging Waste (EU/94/62). This project has developed an innovative recycling food packaging material for meat mainly and also for vegetables, salads and pasta, with oxygen scavenger properties to enable a slowing of the oxidisation process within the food being stored by creating an oxygen poor atmosphere and effectively acting as an anti-oxidant.
Project objectives:
The overall technological objective of this project is to develop a packaging laminate material that replaces the current non-transparent and non-recyclable, multi-layer materials, with a natural extract coating, enabling the package to be 100 % recyclable and meet Directive 94/62.
Main results:
The oxygen scavenging system selected is composed of a combination of natural extracts and a biodegradable adhesive layer that satisfies the purpose in terms of transparency, viscosity and adhesion properties.
A high oxygen barrier was developed with extremely low gas permeation, i.e. 1,26 cm3 O2/m3*d *bar, which means a barrier improvement factor of 1807 times greater than native commercially available polymer. An oxygen permeable polyethylene film was selected.
After multilayer film integration and lamination the film oxygen absorbing capacity was determined accordingly to DIN 6139-1. The gas permeable barrier/[(natural extracts):resin]/high oxygen barrier multilayer architecture displays high oxygen scavenging capacity.
FRESHFILM sealability and product acceptability in terms of transparency was validated. Effectively, FRESHFILM can prevent lipid oxidation of packaged products as well as decrease order spoilage microbial population up to 2 log. Depending on the type of food, an extension of shelf life up to 10 % longer can be achieved.
FRESHFILM recyclability was demonstrated. Direct product pelletisation lead to a granulate that can be transformed in black litter bags. Besides, surfactant assisted cold and hot water treatments for film separation lead to recovered FRESHFILM components that can re-integrated in food packaging film production as raw material due to their high cleanliness.
Furthermore, FRESHFILM meets EN-13428:2004 ('Packaging-requirements specific to manufacturing and composition'), EN-13430:2004 ('Requirements for packaging recoverable by material recycling') and EN-13431:2004 ('Requirements for packaging recoverable in the form of energy recovery, including specification of minimum inferior calorific values').
Project context:
The field of food packaging has been a subject of intensive research over the past two decades but is still today at the stage of development. Active packaging can be defined as a packaging with performs some desired function other than merely providing a barrier to the external environment. Active packaging must not be confused with intelligent packaging, which informs or communicates with the consumer the present properties of the food, or records aspect of its history. Ideally, the objective of packaging is the maintenance of the quality of the food at the level achieved at the final stage of its processing (product quality, maintenance of the organoleptic properties, etc.). In practice, food quality decreases from the final step of food processing stage due to packaging process or packaging material available do not match the requirements imposed by the food. The role of packaging materials has been undermined as they could be advantageously used to contribute to the retention of the food quality.
FRESHFILM will create a highly-functional (active) film food packaging that will strongly serve two main end-user communities: food processing industry and plastic packaging industry (meat processing versus fresh food processing). These are mature sectors which create annual revenues in Europe of EUR 147 billion and EUR 12 billion respectively and require continues innovation to differentiate in a strong-competition market and to attend a consumer demand with increasing level of quality exigency.
FRESHFILM will solve the main concerns regarding flexible packaging market: product time life, plastic weight and multilayer recycling by extending fresh-food life time, reducing the weight of packaging and enabling recovery, recycling or reusing of the materials in the packaging. The new approach of the Directive on Packaging and Packaging Waste (EU/94/62) has set new targets for the European flexible supplier chain. Directive 94/62 requires reducing the weight of packaging and enabling recovery, recycling or reusing of the materials in the packaging. This project will develop an innovative recycling food packaging material for meat mainly and also for vegetables, salads and pasta, with oxygen scavenger properties to enable a slowing of the oxidisation process within the food being stored by creating an oxygen poor atmosphere and effectively acting as an anti-oxidant.
The natural oxygen scavenging compounds, which act as antioxidants, will be blended as extracts from natural herbs. Contrasting current barrier layers that prevent ingress of oxygen to manage down the oxygen content of the pack interior, the developed film will be entirely recycled at end-of- life. The science and technology required to do this will be challenging, yet the partnership comprises some of Europe's leading research and industrial.
Project objectives:
The overall technological objective of this project is to develop a packaging laminate material that replaces the current non-transparent and non-recyclable, multi-layer materials that contain aluminium foil, PVDC, EVOH or PA membranes to provide an oxygen barrier, with an aqueous natural extract coating, enabling the package to be 100 % recyclable and meet Directive 94/62.
Scientific objectives:
- Enhancing current understanding of and characterizing the potential oxygen scavenging properties of natural extracts.
- Enhancing current understanding of the adhesion and printing properties of natural extract coatings, and the inner PE and outer PP layers.
- Study of the relationship between the structure and permeability properties by adding nanoclays and nucleating agents in the PP film and by incorporating inorganic filler and plasticiser to PE film.
- Development of strategies to preserve the activity of the anti-oxidant coating during storage.
Technical objectives:
- Developing a natural extract coating formulation highly transparent and with viscosity properties that permits to apply the coating by printing method.
- Developing a natural extract coating formulation: including natural oxygen scavenging compounds which activity is able to remove the residual oxygen from the pack interior.
- Developing a coating for the natural extracts that adheres to both the polymer inner and outer membranes of the laminate with an excellent coating adhesion, so as to produce a cohesive packaging material able to be thermo-conformed into geometries typical for food packaging and exhibiting a mechanical performance equivalent to that of conventional multi-layer packaging materials.
- Developing a laminated polyethylene film structure with inner layer having high degree of porosity to allow the flux of O2 from the inside of the packed food system and outer polypropylene layer with a very high degree of barrier functionality to prevent the pass of O2 from the outside. This enabling the laminate to seal in the natural extract during pack storage prior to filing with the food product, and allow reactivity of the natural extracts through the inner layer and into the pack interior, only after being activated, so preserving the oxygen scavenging effects of the pack until it has been filled with food.
- Developing a method for preserving the active life of the natural antioxidant coating during the time between manufacture packaging solution (film) storage and the pack conversion and filling so such a method maintains the activity of antioxidant coating.
The work performed during the project includes:
- the selection of an active antioxidant (natural extract with oxygen scavenging properties),
- the development of two new materials (PP and PE) for the inner and outer layer of the multilayer film: creation of a polypropylene based high gas barrier and modification and selection of most suitable PE based gas permeable film,
- the development of an innovative natural oxygen scavenging coating packaging material the formulation of a coating that includes the active extract. This coating must preserve natural extract oxygen scavenging activity whilst ensuring proper multilayer architecture adhesion,
- the study of various strategies to preserve the activity of FRESHFILM oxygen scavenging element between film production and meat packing stages,
- multilayer oxygen scavenging food packaging integration,
- validation of the technology developed in terms of quality, product safety and efficiency,
- demonstration of the recyclability of FRESHFILM end product and respect of Waste Package Directive (94/62/EC) and posterior amendments,
- results absorption by industrial representatives of the consortium,
- results protection,
- project dissemination activities.
Project results:
A natural extract has been selected. Its oxygen scavenging activity has been tested, as well as its suitability to be included in a coating. The oxygen scavenging system selected is composed of a combination of natural extracts and a biodegradable adhesive layer.
A coating containing the active extract has been formulated and tested in its scavenging activity. The formulation satisfies the purpose in terms of transparency, viscosity and adhesion properties. As such, a specially formulated resin that does not prevent the oxygen scavenging activity of the entrapped active system was developed and tested in terms of peeling test and assessed against competitive with respect to established poly(urethane) based adhesive films used in multilayer food packaging films.
A high oxygen barrier was developed with extremely low gas permeation, i.e. 1,26 cm3 O2/m3*d *bar, which means a barrier improvement factor of 1807 times greater than native commercially available polymer. This outstanding result was achieved through a two stage research. Firstly, the possibility of using organically modified nanoclay fillers in conjunction with a suitable compatibiliser was evaluated. Despite appropriate exfoliation and improved mechanical properties of the PP modified film, the oxygen barrier did improve by a factor of 10 which was not viewed by the consortium enough for the scope of FRESHFILM. As such, a water based non-porous coating was applied onto the PP yielding the formation of high oxygen barrier film.
An oxygen permeable polyethylene film was selected. Commercial available PE films have been either foamed using SBS, EVA and PLA or microperforated in an attempt to increase gas transmission properties of said film. Whilst the use of foaming agents did not notably lead to the expected result, microperforation has a detrimental effect on film transparency hence disqualifying such efficient technique in the view of developing a transparent multilayer film.
Multilayer film integration and lamination has been performed by both research and technology development (RTD) performers and across the supply chain represented by the different industrial members of the consortium. Films samples were placed in purposed designed cell and Freshfilm capacity at absorbing oxygen was determined accordingly to DIN 6139-1 'Oxygen scavengers for packaging applications - Part 1: Determination of capacity'. The gas permeable barrier/[(natural extracts):resin]/high oxygen barrier multilayer architecture displays high oxygen scavenging capacity in both cell measurement and FRESHFILM sealed trays.
FRESHFILM sealability was demonstrated by both RTD performers and industrial partners. Product acceptability in terms of transparency was validated through a panel of industrial experts, organoleptic properties validated through a jury of sensors and positive impact regarding meat product quality preservation assessed through lipid oxidation and microbial activity studies. Effectively, FRESHFILM can prevent lipid oxidation of packaged products as well as decrease order spoilage microbial population up to 2 log.
The two levels FRESHFILM recyclability was demonstrated. On one hand, product pelletisation and production of added value recycled black litter bags were produced from the resulting granulates. Surfactant assisted cold and hot water treatments for film separation and quality of recovered FRESHFILM components was demonstrated, recovered material re-integrated food packaging film production as raw material due to their high cleanliness. Furthermore, FRESHFILM meets EN-13428:2004 ('Packaging requirements specific to manufacturing and composition'), EN-13430:2004 ('Requirements for packaging recoverable by material recycling') and EN-13431:2004 ('Requirements for packaging recoverable in the form of energy recovery, including specification of minimum inferior calorific values').
In terms of project dissemination activities, RTDS and Industrial did take part to international conferences to promote the presently European Union (EU) funded project. Due to the high interest expressed by the industrial partners of the consortium, exploitation agreement, patent search result, patent draft have been prepared.
Potential impact:
The scientific and technical results of the project can be applied in a new product for the food packaging sector. The innovative character of the film can report commercial benefits in terms of longer shelf life for the packaged food and in terms of environmental sustainability.
Project website: http://www.freshfilm.org
FRESHFILM solve the main concerns regarding flexible packaging market: product time life, plastic weight and multilayer recycling by extending fresh-food life time, reducing the weight of packaging and enabling recovery, recycling or reusing of the materials in the packaging, according to the Directive on Packaging and Packaging Waste (EU/94/62). This project has developed an innovative recycling food packaging material for meat mainly and also for vegetables, salads and pasta, with oxygen scavenger properties to enable a slowing of the oxidisation process within the food being stored by creating an oxygen poor atmosphere and effectively acting as an anti-oxidant.
Project objectives:
The overall technological objective of this project is to develop a packaging laminate material that replaces the current non-transparent and non-recyclable, multi-layer materials, with a natural extract coating, enabling the package to be 100 % recyclable and meet Directive 94/62.
Main results:
The oxygen scavenging system selected is composed of a combination of natural extracts and a biodegradable adhesive layer that satisfies the purpose in terms of transparency, viscosity and adhesion properties.
A high oxygen barrier was developed with extremely low gas permeation, i.e. 1,26 cm3 O2/m3*d *bar, which means a barrier improvement factor of 1807 times greater than native commercially available polymer. An oxygen permeable polyethylene film was selected.
After multilayer film integration and lamination the film oxygen absorbing capacity was determined accordingly to DIN 6139-1. The gas permeable barrier/[(natural extracts):resin]/high oxygen barrier multilayer architecture displays high oxygen scavenging capacity.
FRESHFILM sealability and product acceptability in terms of transparency was validated. Effectively, FRESHFILM can prevent lipid oxidation of packaged products as well as decrease order spoilage microbial population up to 2 log. Depending on the type of food, an extension of shelf life up to 10 % longer can be achieved.
FRESHFILM recyclability was demonstrated. Direct product pelletisation lead to a granulate that can be transformed in black litter bags. Besides, surfactant assisted cold and hot water treatments for film separation lead to recovered FRESHFILM components that can re-integrated in food packaging film production as raw material due to their high cleanliness.
Furthermore, FRESHFILM meets EN-13428:2004 ('Packaging-requirements specific to manufacturing and composition'), EN-13430:2004 ('Requirements for packaging recoverable by material recycling') and EN-13431:2004 ('Requirements for packaging recoverable in the form of energy recovery, including specification of minimum inferior calorific values').
Project context:
The field of food packaging has been a subject of intensive research over the past two decades but is still today at the stage of development. Active packaging can be defined as a packaging with performs some desired function other than merely providing a barrier to the external environment. Active packaging must not be confused with intelligent packaging, which informs or communicates with the consumer the present properties of the food, or records aspect of its history. Ideally, the objective of packaging is the maintenance of the quality of the food at the level achieved at the final stage of its processing (product quality, maintenance of the organoleptic properties, etc.). In practice, food quality decreases from the final step of food processing stage due to packaging process or packaging material available do not match the requirements imposed by the food. The role of packaging materials has been undermined as they could be advantageously used to contribute to the retention of the food quality.
FRESHFILM will create a highly-functional (active) film food packaging that will strongly serve two main end-user communities: food processing industry and plastic packaging industry (meat processing versus fresh food processing). These are mature sectors which create annual revenues in Europe of EUR 147 billion and EUR 12 billion respectively and require continues innovation to differentiate in a strong-competition market and to attend a consumer demand with increasing level of quality exigency.
FRESHFILM will solve the main concerns regarding flexible packaging market: product time life, plastic weight and multilayer recycling by extending fresh-food life time, reducing the weight of packaging and enabling recovery, recycling or reusing of the materials in the packaging. The new approach of the Directive on Packaging and Packaging Waste (EU/94/62) has set new targets for the European flexible supplier chain. Directive 94/62 requires reducing the weight of packaging and enabling recovery, recycling or reusing of the materials in the packaging. This project will develop an innovative recycling food packaging material for meat mainly and also for vegetables, salads and pasta, with oxygen scavenger properties to enable a slowing of the oxidisation process within the food being stored by creating an oxygen poor atmosphere and effectively acting as an anti-oxidant.
The natural oxygen scavenging compounds, which act as antioxidants, will be blended as extracts from natural herbs. Contrasting current barrier layers that prevent ingress of oxygen to manage down the oxygen content of the pack interior, the developed film will be entirely recycled at end-of- life. The science and technology required to do this will be challenging, yet the partnership comprises some of Europe's leading research and industrial.
Project objectives:
The overall technological objective of this project is to develop a packaging laminate material that replaces the current non-transparent and non-recyclable, multi-layer materials that contain aluminium foil, PVDC, EVOH or PA membranes to provide an oxygen barrier, with an aqueous natural extract coating, enabling the package to be 100 % recyclable and meet Directive 94/62.
Scientific objectives:
- Enhancing current understanding of and characterizing the potential oxygen scavenging properties of natural extracts.
- Enhancing current understanding of the adhesion and printing properties of natural extract coatings, and the inner PE and outer PP layers.
- Study of the relationship between the structure and permeability properties by adding nanoclays and nucleating agents in the PP film and by incorporating inorganic filler and plasticiser to PE film.
- Development of strategies to preserve the activity of the anti-oxidant coating during storage.
Technical objectives:
- Developing a natural extract coating formulation highly transparent and with viscosity properties that permits to apply the coating by printing method.
- Developing a natural extract coating formulation: including natural oxygen scavenging compounds which activity is able to remove the residual oxygen from the pack interior.
- Developing a coating for the natural extracts that adheres to both the polymer inner and outer membranes of the laminate with an excellent coating adhesion, so as to produce a cohesive packaging material able to be thermo-conformed into geometries typical for food packaging and exhibiting a mechanical performance equivalent to that of conventional multi-layer packaging materials.
- Developing a laminated polyethylene film structure with inner layer having high degree of porosity to allow the flux of O2 from the inside of the packed food system and outer polypropylene layer with a very high degree of barrier functionality to prevent the pass of O2 from the outside. This enabling the laminate to seal in the natural extract during pack storage prior to filing with the food product, and allow reactivity of the natural extracts through the inner layer and into the pack interior, only after being activated, so preserving the oxygen scavenging effects of the pack until it has been filled with food.
- Developing a method for preserving the active life of the natural antioxidant coating during the time between manufacture packaging solution (film) storage and the pack conversion and filling so such a method maintains the activity of antioxidant coating.
The work performed during the project includes:
- the selection of an active antioxidant (natural extract with oxygen scavenging properties),
- the development of two new materials (PP and PE) for the inner and outer layer of the multilayer film: creation of a polypropylene based high gas barrier and modification and selection of most suitable PE based gas permeable film,
- the development of an innovative natural oxygen scavenging coating packaging material the formulation of a coating that includes the active extract. This coating must preserve natural extract oxygen scavenging activity whilst ensuring proper multilayer architecture adhesion,
- the study of various strategies to preserve the activity of FRESHFILM oxygen scavenging element between film production and meat packing stages,
- multilayer oxygen scavenging food packaging integration,
- validation of the technology developed in terms of quality, product safety and efficiency,
- demonstration of the recyclability of FRESHFILM end product and respect of Waste Package Directive (94/62/EC) and posterior amendments,
- results absorption by industrial representatives of the consortium,
- results protection,
- project dissemination activities.
Project results:
A natural extract has been selected. Its oxygen scavenging activity has been tested, as well as its suitability to be included in a coating. The oxygen scavenging system selected is composed of a combination of natural extracts and a biodegradable adhesive layer.
A coating containing the active extract has been formulated and tested in its scavenging activity. The formulation satisfies the purpose in terms of transparency, viscosity and adhesion properties. As such, a specially formulated resin that does not prevent the oxygen scavenging activity of the entrapped active system was developed and tested in terms of peeling test and assessed against competitive with respect to established poly(urethane) based adhesive films used in multilayer food packaging films.
A high oxygen barrier was developed with extremely low gas permeation, i.e. 1,26 cm3 O2/m3*d *bar, which means a barrier improvement factor of 1807 times greater than native commercially available polymer. This outstanding result was achieved through a two stage research. Firstly, the possibility of using organically modified nanoclay fillers in conjunction with a suitable compatibiliser was evaluated. Despite appropriate exfoliation and improved mechanical properties of the PP modified film, the oxygen barrier did improve by a factor of 10 which was not viewed by the consortium enough for the scope of FRESHFILM. As such, a water based non-porous coating was applied onto the PP yielding the formation of high oxygen barrier film.
An oxygen permeable polyethylene film was selected. Commercial available PE films have been either foamed using SBS, EVA and PLA or microperforated in an attempt to increase gas transmission properties of said film. Whilst the use of foaming agents did not notably lead to the expected result, microperforation has a detrimental effect on film transparency hence disqualifying such efficient technique in the view of developing a transparent multilayer film.
Multilayer film integration and lamination has been performed by both research and technology development (RTD) performers and across the supply chain represented by the different industrial members of the consortium. Films samples were placed in purposed designed cell and Freshfilm capacity at absorbing oxygen was determined accordingly to DIN 6139-1 'Oxygen scavengers for packaging applications - Part 1: Determination of capacity'. The gas permeable barrier/[(natural extracts):resin]/high oxygen barrier multilayer architecture displays high oxygen scavenging capacity in both cell measurement and FRESHFILM sealed trays.
FRESHFILM sealability was demonstrated by both RTD performers and industrial partners. Product acceptability in terms of transparency was validated through a panel of industrial experts, organoleptic properties validated through a jury of sensors and positive impact regarding meat product quality preservation assessed through lipid oxidation and microbial activity studies. Effectively, FRESHFILM can prevent lipid oxidation of packaged products as well as decrease order spoilage microbial population up to 2 log.
The two levels FRESHFILM recyclability was demonstrated. On one hand, product pelletisation and production of added value recycled black litter bags were produced from the resulting granulates. Surfactant assisted cold and hot water treatments for film separation and quality of recovered FRESHFILM components was demonstrated, recovered material re-integrated food packaging film production as raw material due to their high cleanliness. Furthermore, FRESHFILM meets EN-13428:2004 ('Packaging requirements specific to manufacturing and composition'), EN-13430:2004 ('Requirements for packaging recoverable by material recycling') and EN-13431:2004 ('Requirements for packaging recoverable in the form of energy recovery, including specification of minimum inferior calorific values').
In terms of project dissemination activities, RTDS and Industrial did take part to international conferences to promote the presently European Union (EU) funded project. Due to the high interest expressed by the industrial partners of the consortium, exploitation agreement, patent search result, patent draft have been prepared.
Potential impact:
The scientific and technical results of the project can be applied in a new product for the food packaging sector. The innovative character of the film can report commercial benefits in terms of longer shelf life for the packaged food and in terms of environmental sustainability.
Project website: http://www.freshfilm.org