FRESHINPAC

• Start of the project : 01-09-19
• End of project : 31-08-21

FreshInPac aims to develop bio-based packaging for perishable foods (fruits and vegetables, flowers) with multiple functionalities (ethylene scavenging, rejection of plant-based antimicrobials, control of water vapour condensation). These perishable products are of great economic importance, but are extremely perishable with annual losses of fruits and vegetables, and flowers amounting to 45% and 15-20% (by weight), respectively; some important causes of losses are mould growth and high metabolic activity due to ethylene “plant ripening hormone”. The targeted functionalities of the packaging material are chosen to address these major causes of spoilage, thereby extending the shelf life of the products.

FreshInPac will follow the approach of combining product requirements and packaging material functionalities in an active bio-based packaging system. The packaging development will be done by digital simulation, which has not been done before for these multifunctional packaging materials.

Objectives and missions of Materia Nova

Within the consortium, Materia Nova is responsible for:

• The active packaging for the fresh food market
• The preparation of bio-plastic films containing active components (moisture regulation and ethylene trapping)