A new study has created a biodegradable edible film to better preserve food without polluting like those in petroleum
He is about to end up run over, his mother saves himA cling film that is itself edible and appetizing is the new invention of a team of researchers from São Paulo State University and the Composites and Hybrid Nanocomposites Group with the support of the FAPESP research fund.
Published in the scientific journal Polymers, the new study aims to put a stop to plastic food packaging, the majority of which is produced from non-renewable energy sources such as oil. The researchers' goal is recreate a biodegradable option that reduces the consumption of plastic in Brazil, a country that annually produces over 11 million tons of plastic waste.
The research team developed in the laboratory new sheets in bioplastic or "green plastic" starting from the food gelatin on the market which is one of the most used materials in the production of biopolymers, being easily available and low cost and perfect as a film, however this is not the most ethical solution due to its animal origin. Cloisite Na + additive was added to the gelatin to improve the physical properties of the final product, such as tensile strength, and ensure maximum yield.
But Cloisite Na + is not the only element that has been incorporated into the new film because scientists have thought of everything to make their creation more palatable, more attractive and competitive on the market. To accentuate the flavor and taste, a nanoemulsion of essential oil of black pepper has been added to the eco-sustainable and edible packaging, capable of prolonging the preservation of food thanks to antimicrobials and antioxidant components. Moreover, this is not the first invention of this type by the group of experts. The team has already produced nanoemulsions for application in the food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries as well as edible packaging from kale and even dressings from bacterial cellulose.
As we explained, the starting point for this first experiment is food gelatin which is prepared starting from the thermal denaturation of collagen, isolated from the skin and bones of animals, but many other researchers have shown that agar-agar, the most ethical and environmentally and animal friendly vegetable gelling agent, is an excellent plant-based alternative for food packaging. An example is provided by the biopolymer study published in the Pubmed medical journal entitled “Agar-based edible films for food packaging applications - A review“.
In fact, we hope that this new solution presented by Brazilian researchers to replace plastic can be developed from agar-agar rather than animal gelatin.. There is no shortage of proposals for green plant-based packaging from our university centers. The University of Bari Aldo Moro had already presented a PowerPoint illustrating agar-agar as a first choice in a new frontier of food packaging.
Fonte: Polymers
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