Aside from the fact that conventional plastic packaging adds up to thousands of tons of unwanted waste particularly on food products, the practice of discarding expired uneaten food sold in stores magnifies this concern.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations reported that no less than 35% of all food products on Earth are wasted, mostly prevalent in households and retail stores and not just poses problems on ethical principles or economics, but has a serious implication on the environment as well that largely contributes to climate change and global warming.
However, in reports published in the journal Science Daily, campaigns into further protecting the environment is gaining good headway into addressing this concern with the development of bioplastics by Scandinavian research group SINTEF – a form of biodegradable plastic-like packaging material made from organic materials and is believed to not just prolong shelf-life of store-bought food but also accurately tells if the food inside is no longer fit for consumption.
Age Larsen, senior researcher for SINTEF, demonstrated the first bioplastic package material made from bio-PET or bio polyethylene terephthalate and PLA or polyactic acid.
Larsen pointed out that this “green plastic” is made of biopolymers that were added with nanoparticle components made up of improved food preservation properties designed to protect the contents from factors that affect spoilage to extend shelf-life by using reinforced oxygen barriers.
Unlike traditional plastic packaging material, this new bioplastic considerably reduces the carbon footprint as it accurately addresses the wanton disposal of food and packing wastes.
SINTEF is also currently in collaboration with Portuguese-based company Logoplaste also recently developed a blow-moulded bottle made from a strikingly similar bioplastic properties.
Greek company Argo, in a similar project collaboration, is working with SINTEF in developing a seafood pot to hold crabs and prawns that covered in an exterior coating that is oxygen-proof.
Larsen added that these ‘green’ plastic materials said their food storage indicator technology were developed with nano-sensors that are highly sensitive to minute changes that allow the packaging to change color when the indicator-substances are released.
Still, Larsen pointed out that there will always be issues on the matter of these ‘sensors’ being integrated with food material and said that it is up to the manufacturer to decide how they could use the product or how it would get approval from health authorities.
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