Biodegradable Packaging
You may have already noticed the problem plastic has turned into for the environment. The material is responsible for the death of several marine animals and the high accumulation of the residue has already given rise to true islands of garbage in the Pacific. So that these problems do not continue to spread, researchers from USP have developed truly biodegradable packaging for food.
The work of scientists from the Food Engineering Laboratory (LEA) of the Polytechnic School (Poli) at USP seeks to create a 100% biodegradable packaging, using raw materials of plant origin and agro-industrial residues. They hope to offer a safe and eco-friendly alternative to using conventional plastic.
One of the biggest challenges for the researchers is still to develop a package that has characteristics similar to those of plastic film and a competitive price, which allows its production on a large scale. So far, a material made from cassava starch is the scientists' biggest bet.
More than just proposing a biomaterial that can replace plastic, the work in the laboratory goes further. According to Jornal da USP, one of the research carried out foresees the addition of a substance from the grape skins to the packaging, creating a material that changes color in contact with meat or fish that have gone into the process of deterioration. If successful, this should be the first commercially viable, 100% biodegradable, malleable film.
Another alternative tested by the laboratory is to invest in a hybrid material, which contains babassu starch and polypropylene in its composition. With that, it would be possible to reduce from 30% to 40% of the waste generated, according to the chemist Bianca Chieregato Maniglia, responsible for the research, to Jornal da USP.
Source: encurtador.com.br/cfxI2
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