BIO4MAP project of Europe will introduce an innovative food packaging in the market which claimed to improve the shelf life of fresh pasta and cheese.
Developed by BIO4MAP consortium, the food packaging material is said to cost 25 % less than alternative packaging and cut down carbon footprint by up to 29%.
BIO4MAP consortium said that at least 75% of raw materials of the packaging have been drawn from renewable sources.
The material will include different layers of bioplastics – PLA, PVOH and adhesives – and a wax coating produced from olive leaves.
Use of the material will help protect the packed content from oxygen and humidity, preventing the development of bacteria and fungi.
As it is made out of renewable material, it is claimed to be easy to recycle and biodegradable.
AIMPLAS, a research technology centre in Spain had coordinated the €1.5m project which was completed in April 2016.
AIMPLAS main Researcher Nuria López said: “The role of AIMPLAS in this project, besides coordinating it, has been focused on developing the biodegradable and oxygen-barrier material needed to comply with the final requirements of the food to be packaged, as well as being the responsible of processing the new materials developed to obtain the new multilayer packaging.”
The use PLA will add enhanced mechanical properties and help in easier recycling, while PVOH will act as a good gas barrier with water solubility.
Since PVOH disappears in the washing process, it will help in isolating PLA and recycle it.
Project partner Fraunhofer has provided a wax coating to cover the external layer of the packaging which acts as water vapour barrier as well as improves the flexibility of PLA.
BIO4MAP consortium has developed an innovative biodegradable adhesive which joins different materials.
Though the materials were already available commercially, they were yet to be processed as a coextrudate into a multilayer laminate.
Other participants in the projects include Vallés Plàstic, which was responsible for applying the new coating while Artibal, a manufacturer of waxes, lacquers and inks was responsible of its formulation.
The biodegradable adhesive was developed by compounding company MAPEA along with the Finnish research centre Abo Akademi while Bobino Plastique in France was responsible for packaging transforming and manufacturing.
