Active biodegradable packaging
Reduce the growth of bacteria, increase shelf-life
Problem: Reducing food waste and increasing shelf life.
State of the Art: the packages with a disruptive effect on the food industry are defined as “active and intelligent” packaging and will improve traceability of food and preservation time.
Currently these packages operate extending the shelf-life, absorbing smells and releasing antimicrobial substances.
Some packaging absorb oxygen or indicate fruit maturation level. The result is an increase in the durability (shelf-life) and improvement of the preservation.
Currently no active material is employed made of self-preservation surfaces in which the antibacterial compound is coupled irreversibly to the packaging.
Solution: Crossing can attach irreversibly the additives now used in the food industry to the packaging; higher amounts can be used because they are not released, increasing the “shelf life ”.
An example can be the production of ultra-absorbent sheets (cellulose or polyacrylamide) which are placed at the bottom of many polystyrene trays used for meat and fish. This operation allows to reduce drastically the growth of bacteria and increase storage life. This technology can be employed for drinks, fruit juices, food in single-serving package, vegetables, etc.
In particular, Crossing has developed the procedure for the modification with ACLs of carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) with antibacterial and anti-mold agents to produce a films used for food preservation. CMC resulted highly active against Staphylococcus Aureus and Escherichia Coli.
In the above photo, the film’s antimicrobial capability preserved the cheese without refrigeration for 15 days.