Fish, mushrooms and PP recyclate - what will the future of food packaging look like?
Food packaging has been undergoing quite a revolution recently - on the one hand, there is increasing regulatory pressure and weight reduction requirements, and on the other hand, consumers are looking more and more closely at the materials in which products are packaged. As a result, manufacturers are looking for more sustainable alternatives to the plastics used so far, and researchers are trying to meet their needs. This is how packaging innovations are being developed, which could soon change the entire industry.
Category 3 waste packaging - biopolymer for contact applications
Researchers in Brazil have developed a new type of transparent, flexible barrier coating produced from fish industry waste. As a basis for its production used fish skin from the hybrid species Tambatinga, which has a naturally high collagen content. When hot water and acid were added to the fish waste, the researchers obtained a gelatine with a high amino acid content and very good film-forming properties. Thus The resulting gelatine was then combined with the plasticizer glycerol, which increased the material's strength and flexibility. This has resulted in a biopolymer with a uniform, smooth structure, which is suitable for contact with food products, effectively blocks UV radiation below 300 nm and provides a better vapour barrier than other biodegradable gelatine films.
Due to its natural sensitivity to moisture, the amino acid coating has limited applications for the time being. mainly suitable for packing dry or low-moisture products. However, scientists are constantly working on improving its water resistance and testing combinations with other biopolymers, aiming to extend the applications of biofilm to other types of packaging as well.
Read also: Plastic-free catering packaging - Delicious.co.uk carries out large-scale implementation >>
Will mycelium replace film?
Promising work is underway overseas on a natural hydrophobic coating that could find application in single-use packaging previously made from plastic. University of Maine researchers have developed a new type of biofilm using edible fungal mycelium and a cellulose fiber suspension. After mixing mycelial hyphae with cellulose nanofibres, they obtained a biologically active material that can be „grown” by applying it to the surface of paper, wood or fabric.
The growth of the material takes several days, during which the mycelial hyphae gradually form an increasingly dense network. The whole process takes place under controlled conditions and produces a coating with natural hydrophobic properties, which can be used not only for disposable packaging, but also for impregnating technical textiles or manufacturing construction materials with special properties.
Recyclate better than virgin plastics - the new generation of PP film
Eurocast is developing an innovative multilayer polypropylene cast film (Castfol RPP). Work on it started in 2025 and will continue until 2030. The aim of the R&D project is to create a film with a high proportion of recycled raw materials, which will have performance characteristics comparable to materials made from virgin raw materials. In parallel with the development of the technology Eurocast wants to promote its solution in foreign markets, creating room for increased exports in the future.
Castfol RPP film has contain up to 60% recycled PP and at the same time be suitable for food contact. It will comprise a minimum of five layers, each responsible for performing a specific function (e.g. mechanical strength, weldability and the use of recycled material). The project also includes a reduction in film thickness from 40 to 30 µm, which will reduce the consumption of raw materials and reduce the amount of packaging waste generated throughout the product life cycle. The biggest challenge, however, is to ensure high optical quality film, essential for packaging applications, particularly in the food segment. A feature of most recycled plastics is lower transparency, loss of gloss and a decrease in mechanical properties. Eurocast wants to reverse this trend and, in addition, make it possible to increase the material efficiency of packaging by up to approximately 33%.
Meet Recythen® and Procyclen® - innovative recycled plastics with impressive properties >>
Paper will replace laminate in spice packaging
Currently, the most common answer to the question „where to dispose of spice packets” is: in the mixed. This may soon change - Mondi, the global leader in paper packaging in partnership with Prymat developed innovative paper packaging for spices, which is intended to replace the currently difficult-to-recycle laminates of paper, plastic and aluminium.
New packaging creation from Mondi FunctionalBarrier Paper Ultimate, which contains a minimum of 80% paper coated with a special barrier layer to ensure a high degree of product protection. As a result, the spice bag effectively prevents the penetration of oxygen, moisture and grease, It achieves performance comparable to traditional laminates. At the same time, it fits in with the requirements of a circular economy - according to Mondi, packaging has a lower carbon footprint and is optimised for recycling.
Sources:
- Katarzyna Oleksy, Biodegradable packaging made from farmed fish skin waste, https://foodfakty.pl/biodegradowalne-opakowania-z-rybiej-skory-bedacej-odpadem-hodowlanym
- Katarzyna Oleksy, Scientists develop natural, fungal water-resistant coatings - an alternative to plastic, https://foodfakty.pl/naukowcy-rozwijaja-naturalne-grzybowe-powloki-odporne-na-wode-alternatywa-plastiku
- PP film with up to 60% recyclate for food contact, https://www.plastech.pl/wiadomosci/Folia-PP-z-zawartoscia-do-60-recyklatu-do-kontaktu-z-21908
- Mondi and Prymat introduce groundbreaking paper packaging to the Polish spices market, https://www.rynekpapierniczy.pl/artykul/mondi-i-prymat-wprowadzaja-przelomowe-opakowania-papierowe-na-polski-rynek-przypraw-5286
