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Susana Zamora
Algarrobo
Tuesday, 15 October 2024, 19:06
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A research team from the Institute of Subtropical and Mediterranean Horticulture La Mayora (IHSM, UMA-CSIC) in Algarrobo on the eastern side of the Costa del Sol has developed a bioplastic made from cellulose, for packaging fast food. The aim is that it can be used to cover bread, cakes or biscuits, or as a complement to other solid packaging such as that used for meat or fish.
To make it the researchers mixed commercial cellulose, which is the main component of the plants, and glycerol, an oily alcohol that has lubricating and softening properties. "This is a simple strategy that had not been studied until now," says IHSM La Mayora researcher Susana Guzmán.
She explained that for the first time real tests have been carried out and that during the experiment it was proven that the new material improved the shelf life of the product. "We saw that it remained fresh for up to a week, whereas with a similar material (paper) it barely lasted two or three days," she told SUR.
One of its characteristics is that it is environmentally friendly, repels water and pathogenic micro-organisms and has physical properties very similar to those of paper film, such as elasticity, transparency and malleability. According to the experts, the aim was to find a simple way to develop a material from agricultural waste that is transparent, resistant and biodegradable, as an alternative to commonly used plastics derived from fossil fuel sources.
As the researchers explained in the article 'Transparent, plasticised cellulose-glycerol bioplastics for food packaging applications', published in the International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, they used cellulose, a substance that provides rigidity and resistance to plant cell walls, to develop the material. They then dissolved it into a transparent solution and added glycerol, a substance with binding properties, which gave the mixture its plasticising qualities. "We had to carry out several experiments with different proportions until we found an acceptable range of composition for contact with food," said the researcher.
After preparing different solutions, the scientific group evaporated the solvent and obtained different transparent films. All of them showed good resistance and retained their properties without decomposing on contact with food, a requirement for their potential use in packaging.
To test it, they wrapped small biscuits and evaluated the hardness of the biscuits at different times, demonstrating that the food is better preserved when protected by this bioplastic. "These tests that we have carried out serve as a first step to continue with the development of this bioplastic, which could be used in the future in markets, fast food restaurants or bakeries," explained Guzmán, who makes it clear that the research "is still on a laboratory scale" and that "for the moment, it is not going to replace polyethylene, but we continue to make progress on alternatives".
The team is continuing to work on improving parameters that are "very important for the food industry", such as the oxygen barrier, which allows food to be isolated and thus delay its deterioration.
Finally, they subjected this material to a degradation test in seawater to see how it decomposes naturally in aquatic environments. They confirmed that this bioplastic degrades more easily due to its glycerol content, as microorganisms can consume and feed on it.
The next step for the Sustainable Agri-Food Materials group at the IHSM is to improve the formulation of this bioplastic to make it more water-resistant. In parallel, they are working with other materials such as potato and tomato waste, as well as the shells of small crustaceans, to develop environmentally friendly and human-friendly coatings for food packaging.
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