Optimization of existing bio-based/biodegradable packaging materials by coating technologies for almost ready-to-eat Mediterranean foods
Activities of the uB PhD student for Mediet4all.
Hello, I’m Clément, the PhD student from the University of Burgundy working on the Mediet4all project. I work in Dijon (France) on food biotechnologies in the UMR PAM research unit and more specifically in the “Physical Chemistry of Food and Wine” team, which brings together chemists and physical chemists working on ingredients and foods, wines and spirits, and materials in contact with or derived from foods/wines.
Introduction to Mediet4all and Its Objectives
The Mediet4all project aims to enable the transition from an ultra-processed food culture to a modern, more sustainable diet based on best practices. The aim of this transnational project is to promote the Mediterranean diet through innovative solutions, bringing together producers, industry and research laboratories. If respect for the consumer and the environment is at the heart of the project, why not having good practice in packaging?
The Challenge of Sustainable Packaging
We now recognise that packaging has a major impact on our planet and we need to move towards more sustainable products. A big problem is the plastic used in these packaging materials, most of which are not really biodegradable and are made from oil. But we cannot just stop using packaging as it is essential to slow down food spoilage and therefore food waste globally. One solution is to produce packaging with new types of plastic made from natural renewable sources (without affecting food production): bioplastics.
But there is another issue: bioplastics are tricky to process. They are often more expensive, and industry has difficulty using them because they are not always as effective than traditional plastics. My job is to help industry use these solutions by optimising them and pairing them with Mediet4all’s Mediterranean recipes. The aim is to make food last longer by using natural materials that are by-products of the food industry.
Research and Collaboration
My work is all about making the packaging for all the new recipes developed by the project. I also make sure that the system can be used in industry, that we stick to all the legal rules, and that we’re as simple and kind to the environment as we can be.
So what has my work been about over the past year? In a nutshell, we decided to optimise packaging with bioactive coatings. Think of it as a layer of paint that interacts with the air inside the packaging to slow down the degradation of food over time. But before we could do any of that, we had to tackle disinfection! The food industry uses a number of ways to achieve zero harmful pathogens in food, but they are not suitable for our biopolymers. So we worked on a green process using cold plasma (picture it a gas similar to electrical sparks). After extensive testing, we found that this technique was suitable for our work, with the added advantage of not adding any harmful chemicals, while keeping energy consumption low. We are also demonstrating that this plasma technology works together well with the bioactive systems we want to use later!
After developing the tools and models for our research, we investigated the potential of natural antioxidant effectiveness in our packaging. Currently, we are using fish industry by-products in our coatings and we are opening collaborations with several Mediet4all partners to achieve our goals.
Looking Ahead: Real-World Testing
We start to prepare the actual packaging for further tests while using easily transferable to industry. This PhD’s goal is not to be confined in a lab : we are here to keep local public informed, spreading information in multiple conferences, even online.
With more tests to come, we will soon be able to see the effect of our products on real food. Stay tuned!
