The food industry is investing in the development of sustainable packaging alternatives to reduce plastic waste. Researchers in Brazil have developed a film made from a compound derived from limonene, found in citrus fruit peel, and chitosan, derived from crustacean exoskeletons. Limonene has previously been used in food packaging for its antioxidant and antimicrobial properties, but its volatility and instability during the manufacturing process have hindered its widespread use. The new film overcomes these challenges and offers a more sustainable packaging option that preserves nutritional quality and organoleptic traits. This development could help reduce the environmental impact of packaging materials in the food industry.
Indiscriminate use of packaging materials derived from petroleum has led to a huge buildup of plastic in landfills and the ocean, as these materials have low degradability and are not significantly recycled. To mitigate this problem and meet growing demand for products that are safe for human health and the environment, the food industry is investing in the development of more sustainable packaging alternatives that preserve nutritional quality as well as organoleptic traits such as color, taste, smell and texture.
An example is a film made of a compound derived from limonene, the main component of citrus fruit peel, and chitosan, a biopolymer derived from the chitin present in exoskeletons of crustaceans.
The film was developed by a research group in São Paulo state, Brazil, comprising scientists in the Department of Materials Engineering and Bioprocesses at the State University of Campinas’s School of Chemical Engineering (FEQ-UNICAMP) and the Packaging Technology Center at the Institute of Food Technology (ITAL) of the São Paulo State Department of Agriculture and Supply, also in Campinas.
“We focused on limonene because Brazil is one of the world’s largest producers of oranges [if not the largest] and São Paulo is the leading orange-producing state,” said Roniérik Pioli Vieira, last author of the article and a professor at FEQ-UNICAMP.
Limonene has been used before in film for food packaging to enhance conservation thanks to its antoxidant and anti-microbial action, but its performance is impaired by volatility and instability during the packaging manufacturing process, even on a laboratory scale.
This is one of the obstacles to the use of bioactive compounds in commercial packaging. It is often produced in processes…
Source: Technology Networks
In an effort to reduce the environmental impact of packaging materials, the food industry is turning to more sustainable alternatives. One such alternative is a biodegradable film made from a compound derived from limonene and chitosan. Limonene, the main component of citrus fruit peel, and chitosan, a biopolymer derived from crustacean exoskeletons, have been combined to create a film that not only preserves the nutritional quality of food but also maintains its color, taste, smell, and texture.
The film was developed by a research group in São Paulo, Brazil, consisting of scientists from the Department of Materials Engineering and Bioprocesses at the State University of Campinas’s School of Chemical Engineering and the Packaging Technology Center at the Institute of Food Technology. The results of their research were published in the journal Food Packaging and Shelf Life.
The indiscriminate use of petroleum-derived packaging materials has led to a significant buildup of plastic waste in landfills and the ocean. These materials have low degradability and are not efficiently recycled, posing a threat to the environment and human health. In response to this problem, the food industry is investing in the development of sustainable packaging alternatives.
Limonene was chosen as the main component of the film due to Brazil’s status as one of the world’s largest producers of oranges. São Paulo, where the research group is based, is the leading orange-producing state in Brazil. Limonene has previously been used in food packaging films for its antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. However, its volatility and instability during the manufacturing process have hindered its effectiveness on a commercial scale.
The development of this biodegradable film addresses one of the main obstacles to using bioactive compounds in packaging. The film not only enhances the preservation of food but also offers a more environmentally friendly solution to the packaging waste problem. By utilizing natural compounds derived from citrus fruit peel and crustacean exoskeletons, the film provides a sustainable alternative to petroleum-based packaging materials.
To bring everything full circle, the development of a biodegradable film made from limonene and chitosan offers a promising solution to the problem of plastic waste in the food industry. This sustainable alternative not only preserves the quality of food but also reduces the environmental impact of packaging materials. With further research and investment, these types of innovative packaging solutions can help create a more sustainable and environmentally conscious food industry.