The cost of biodegradable packaging for food could be reduced by up to 16% if the appropriate packaging designs are used. This is one of the first results obtained by the technological center AINIA and the plastics technological institute AIMPLAS, within the framework of the SOSTPACK project, which aims to improve the properties of biodegradable plastic materials to facilitate their incorporation into the food packaging market.
In its first year, this project, which has the support of the Valencian Institute of Business Competitiveness (IVACE) and the European FEDER funds, has focused on identifying biodegradable materials that can serve as an alternative to traditional plastics, while enabling the The shelf life of the food it contains, as well as its nutritional and sensory characteristics and the properties of the container, are similar. The first demonstration works have been carried out with tray and bag type containers in products such as snacks, dairy drinks and meats, although others will be addressed throughout the project.
For this, various technologies have been used jointly with which products have been packaged with biodegradable materials to study the barrier properties and thermal resistance of these materials, including possible structural improvements so that they can be processed in conventional industrial equipment. Likewise, a study of thicknesses in standard tray-type containers common in meats, has shown improvements of more than 15% in the distribution of thicknesses in the critical points of the container.
