(ORDO NEWS) — The planet’s pollution with plastic waste is becoming an increasing problem, so humanity is trying to get rid of oil-based packaging, replacing it with something biodegradable. Scientists from the USA offer a replacement for cling film.
The promising technology belongs to scientists from Rutgers University. They have developed a plant-based, biodegradable coating that can be sprayed onto food.
The resulting film will protect against pathogens and damage during transportation. This packaging is reported to extend the shelf life of tested avocados by 50 percent.
Development details
The scientific article has already been published in the journal Nature Food . According to it, a new packaging technology uses fibers based on biopolymers and polysaccharides.
Like a web, the fibrous material can be spun with a hair dryer-like device and wrapped around products of various shapes and sizes.
The resulting material is strong enough to protect against the ingress of foreign liquids and solids, and also contains antimicrobial elements.
The fibers are impregnated with natural antimicrobial ingredients – thyme oil, citric acid and lowland. Such a film can even fight E. coli , leaving food fresh for a long time.
The film technology, which decomposes in the soil within three days and can be easily washed off the food with ordinary water, has been called “focused rotary jet spinning”.
We need to get rid of oil-based food packaging and replace it with something biodegradable and non-toxic.
At the same time, we asked ourselves, “Can we develop food packaging that extends shelf life and reduces food waste while improving food safety?”
Our technology allows biopolymers to be converted into fibers that can directly wrap food.
This is a new level, “smart” and “green” food packaging, says Philippe Demokrita, head of the study.
Nothing is said about commercialization yet. However, companies focused on green production and waste reduction will clearly be interested in the technology.
Today, tons of plastic are thrown into the ocean. At the same time, 30 times more waste lies at its bottom than floats on the surface.
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