Bamps Bram, Guimaraes Rafael Moreno Macedo, Duijsters Gwen, Hermans Dries, Vanminsel Jan, Vervoort Evelynn, Buntinx Mieke, Peeters Roos
Materials and Packaging Research & Services, Imo-Imomec, Hasselt University, Wetenschapspark 27, 3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium.
Instituto de Química, Universidade de São Paulo, Avenida Professor Lineu Prestes, 748 Butanta, São Paulo 05508-070, Brazil.
Polymers (Basel). 2022 Jun 24;14(13):2569. doi: 10.3390/polym14132569.
In an organic circular economy, biodegradable materials can be used as food packaging, and at end-of-life their carbon atoms can be recovered for soil enrichment after composting, so that new food or materials can be produced. Packaging functionality, such as mechanical, gas barrier, and heat-seal performance, of emerging biodegradable packaging, with a laminated, coated, monomaterial, and/or blended structure, is not yet well known in the food industry. This lack of knowledge, in addition to end-of-life concerns, high cost, and production limits is one of the main bottlenecks for broad implementation in the food industry. This study determines application areas of 10 films with a pragmatic approach based on an experimental broad characterization of packaging functionality. As a conclusion, the potential application of these materials is discussed with respect to industrial settings and food and consumer requirements, to support the implementation of commercially available, biodegradable, and, more specifically, compostable, materials for the identified food applications.
在有机循环经济中，可生物降解材料可用于食品包装，在其使用寿命结束时，其碳原子可在堆肥后回收用于土壤改良，从而生产新的食品或材料。具有层压、涂层、单一材料和/或混合结构的新型可生物降解包装的包装功能，如机械性能、气体阻隔性能和热封性能，在食品行业中尚不为人所知。除了对使用寿命结束的担忧、高成本和生产限制外，这种知识的缺乏是在食品行业广泛应用的主要瓶颈之一。本研究基于对包装功能的广泛实验表征，以务实的方法确定了10种薄膜的应用领域。作为结论，讨论了这些材料在工业环境以及食品和消费者需求方面的潜在应用，以支持将市售的、可生物降解的，更具体地说是可堆肥的材料用于确定的食品应用。
