In the BioActiveMaterials project concepts are being developed to replace conventional, mineral oil-based and non-recyclable food packaging with biobased multilayer composites. These new materials should show suitable barrier values against oxygen, water vapour and mineral oils. Furthermore, they should have antioxidant and antimicrobial properties in order to additionally protect the packaged food as well as the packaging itself.
The overall goal is to reduce food waste while using more sustainable packaging raw materials. The basic material will be paper. Biobased coatings give it new functionalities, which opens up additional application possibilities as a packaging material.
Three research partners (KCPK, Fraunhofer IVV, Fraunhofer IGB) and two industrial associations (IVLV, Wereld van Papier) are working together on the Cornet project, which is funded by the BMWi. The affiliated User Committee consists of small and medium-sized enterprises from Germany and the Netherlands.
Fraunhofer IGB is developing water-based dispersions with natural waxes as part of the project. These dispersions can be applied to paper, for example, as a coating and are intended to fulfill various functions. The focus here is on applications as wrapping papers with low water vapor permeability and additional antimicrobial effect. Direct spraying on food would also be possible as all ingredients are edible.
BioActiveMaterials – Sustainable and biobased packaging materials for safe food products
April 2018 – March 2020
We would like to thank the German Federal Ministry for Ecomic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) and the Arbeitsgemeinschaft industrieller Forschungsvereinigungen (AiF) for funding the project "BioActiveMaterials" within the AiF CORNET program.
Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB