ICE europe, March 12 – 14, 2019, Munich

Safer Food – Less Waste

Press release Fraunhofer IGB /

At ICE 2019, the Fraunhofer Institutes for Applied Polymer Research IAP, for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB and for Organic Electronics, Electron Beam and Plasma Technology FEP will present innovative technologies for sustainable food packaging. They each have extensive expertise in processing, process development and control, the development of special polymer films and the deposition of ultra-thin layers for the packaging industry.

© Fraunhofer IAP
Green fluorescence of a dye solution excited with blue light.

The topic of product and food packaging is more relevant and more present than ever. Almost everyone already has the image of the immeasurably large plastic vortex in the oceans in mind when shopping and selecting plastic-packed meat or vegetables. At the latest when food is stowed at home, the amount of outer packaging becomes clear. The figures from the Federal Environment Agency speak for themselves – in total, every German produces around 220 kilograms of packaging waste annually.

A complete avoidance of packaging film, however, is hardly feasible. Hygiene standards, transport routes and ultimately the purchasing behavior of customers with regard to fresh food at affordable prices require hygienic, functional and safe packaging, because bacteria, viruses and moulds can easily spoil food everywhere and can also cause serious illnesses.

 

Nanotubes with antimicrobial essential oils

The EU joint project "NanoPack", launched in 2017, focuses precisely on these challenges and aims to develop state-of-the-art antimicrobial packaging solutions for perishable foods based on natural nanomaterials in order to prevent outbreaks of food-borne diseases and reduce food waste due to early spoilage. The economic aspect of production, upscaling and validation (including regulatory requirements) was also considered in order to produce marketable and cost-effective food packaging.

Halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) for use in food packaging are being investigated as the basis for developing the new packaging solutions in the NanoPack project. By modifying the surface of this nanomaterial, essential oils such as thyme oil can be efficiently released integrated into a packaging film. The essential oils released as steam reduce the growth of microbes both on the product surface and in the packaging room. The scientists at Fraunhofer IAP play a leading role in the development of treatment processes and the surface functionalization of HNTs as well as in compounding, i.e. the integration of particles – loaded HNTs – in polymer films.

 

Measuring layer thickness with fluorescent inks

Process control methods are also relevant in this context, which Fraunhofer IAP will also present. In the production of thin, transparent layers, such as in packaging films, in-line process control can contribute to quality assurance and improvement and expensive material components can be used efficiently. Through complete monitoring, the manufacturing process can be optimized in such a way that only as much of a functional component (e.g. an oxygen barrier layer or a laminating adhesive) is used as is necessary for its function, which can lead to considerable material and cost savings. Fluorescent dyes are used as additives in the functional layer in order to measure the distribution of the layer thicknesses by measuring the fluorescent light. The dye is added to the coating material in such small quantities that it is not visible and the material properties are not affected. By combining novel packaging materials with effective process control, scientists aim to make future food packaging safer and at the same time cheaper.