Objectives and results
The BioBarr project will focus its efforts to respond to the industrial and technological challenge of developing a new fully biodegradable food packaging with barrier performances that allow at least 10% extension of the shelf life, overcoming so the obstacles in performance that have up to date limited the food applications of totally biodegradable biopolymers.
The novel solutions applied in the Project concern the smart combination of advanced technological elements such as:
- Regarding the PHA biopolymers:
- they are the only materials completely derived from renewable resources and agro-industry side-products or wastes with no competition with food nor feed chains
- their macromolecular synthesis is completely developed and managed by non-pathogenic bacteria, without need of chemical approach or further modification to make it suitable for industrial applications
- this material is biodegradable not only in composting station but also in water at ambient temperature (great improvement compared to the other bioplastics)
- New coating treatment technologies applied to PHAs
- Development and application of a completely biodegradable bio-ink for printing on the packaging
ADVANCED FOOD PACKAGING
The combination of these elements into an advanced food packaging represent the substantial technological advance compared to the existing because it allows to overcome performance, processing and economic drawbacks that current biomaterials tested for food packaging present.
The final product will be completely bio-based, respecting the environment.
The innovative functionalization treatments, to which PHAs will be submitted, will be validated in real industrial and processing conditions. It will be taken into account the criteria that apply to conventional packaging materials associated with foods, such as:
- barrier properties but also optical properties,
- strength, welding and moulding properties,
- marking and printing properties,
- migration/scalping requirements,
- chemical and temperature resistance properties,
- machinability,
- shelf-life in final applications,
- cost/benefit ratio and environmental sustainability of the process.
Improved properties
Improved mechanical and/or functional properties, which guarantee its resistance and reliability along the producing cycle and during storage and distribution
Eco-friendly
It is eco-friendly (bio-based material, biodegradable)
New material
This new material will extend, at least, the shelf life of packaged product by 10%.
Reduction of costs
Reduction of costs, as compared to on-market materials, mainly due to the low energy demanding and low costs of production of the new bio-based material proposed by the project.
