The new packaging changes color based on the quality of the food it contains

University and scientific research in the field of packaging is focusing on the problem of the effective expiration of food, studying bio films that can help us classify, in addition to the label affixed, the real quality of the food contained.

The new bio-films are made of bio-plastics, made from the transformation of sugar contained in beets and corn, to which additives are added from waste from the agri-food sector.

These additives are, in turn, waste from the agri-food chain such as hemp, flax, coffee waste, various vegetation waste, and other natural products . They have several properties that we can summarize:

• · Good mechanical properties
• · Fire resistant
• · Antioxidant properties
• · Antifungal properties
• · Antimicrobial properties

Among the additives we talked about earlier, the addition of zinc oxide and aluminum, in the production of bio films, develops antimicrobial properties that can lengthen the expiration of fresh products, thus reducing the waste given by the expiration of the products.

While the addition of an additive such as cardarol oil and a particular molecule called porphyrin, they attribute to the film antioxidant and antifungal properties , which in the field of food packaging help to signal the deterioration of the product.

But how does this mechanism happen?

When the bio film comes into contact with some analytes, such as water, ethanol, ammonia or other products that derive from food degradation, in combination with light, these toxic elements penetrate the polymer of the film creating color reactions .

The films made in the laboratory are completely biodegradable and bio compostable , this means that at the end of their life cycle they can become fertilizer and re-enter in full respect of the circularity of the products.

Automatic translation. We apologize for any inaccuracies. Original article in Italian.