Materials and technologies – May 2021

Extending the shelf life and enhancing the quality of food
MSU researchers are using their nanoelectronics expertise to build a prototype smart packaging platform that actively monitors food and its environment, while transmitting quantitative data with flexible electronic tags.
In a recently published study (abstract) in Packing Technology and Science, University of Florida researchers look at how to use onion skins to preserve fish.
For his dissertation (3.65 MB) at WUR, Nur Alim Bahmid explored the potential of using mustard seeds to design antimicrobial packaging to prolong the shelf life of foods.
AIMPLAS reports the start of the GUACAPACK Project to develop biodegradable packaging that extends the shelf life of processed avocado by 15%, thanks to a label with oxygen barrier function and to the incorporation of antioxidants extracted from avocado waste.
In an article (1.08 MB) published in Polymers, University of Alicante researchers provide an overview of volatile compounds used in active food packaging.

Bioplastics and plastics from CO₂
Start-up D-CRBN is set to put scientific research conducted at UAntwerp into practice by splitting up CO₂ molecules to make products like polymers.
VTT announces that four companies have collaborated to develop a process to produce PLA from the side streams of soy production. A biopolymer plant will be built to pilot production on an industrial scale.
University of California, Berkeley scientists have invented a way to make compostable plastics break down within a few weeks with just heat and water. An article is published in Nature.
In an article (1.9 MB) published in Resources, Conservation and Recycling, Imperial College London researchers study stakeholder attitudes towards the treatment of biodegradable plastic packaging in food waste anaerobic digestion.

Forming glass using injection moulding
University of Freiburg researchers have codeveloped a process that makes it possible to form glass easily, quickly and in almost any shape using injection moulding. The research (abstract) is published in Science.

Paper packaging
Research by Kyiv National University of Trade and Economics on waterproof paper packaging materials has been published (424 kB) in the Mizhnarodnyj naukovo-praktychnyj zhurnal.
SPC has developed a guide to address how companies can verify that all of the fibre in their paper and packaging has been responsibly sourced — including fibre from forests that have not been certified.

CoronaEspresso and more
WUR research has demonstrated that it is possible to turn a coffee cup into a cheap COVID-19 device for home testing. The test system was named "CoronaEspresso."
In an article (137 kB) published in the European Journal of Basic Medical Sciences, CRAPC researchers study food packaging during the COVID-19 pandemic and consumer expectations in terms of food safety.

Prices for plastics
Dutch trade magazine Vraag en Aanbod publishes a weekly overview of the prices for plastics (in Dutch). The prices given are estimated averages between the gross prices published in the trade journals and the net prices.
 

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