A group of researchers from the La Mayora Institute of Subtropical and Mediterranean Horticulture, affiliated with CSIC and the University of Malaga, managed to create a study. bioplastic Paper based with avocado peel and stone extracts.
This discovery, published in the journal Food Chemistry – in collaboration with professionals from the Università degli Studi della Basilicata (Italy), the Seville Institute of Materials Science (Spain) and the Università degli Studi di Salerno (Italy) – exemplifies the concept of a circular economy. Waste from the food industry is used to produce a new material, It also has improved properties such as greater impermeability, biodegradability and antioxidant capacity.
As researchers José Alejandro Heredia and Susana Guzmán explain, this bioplastic “It utilizes the waste generated in avocado processing industries, Guacamole is made from this fruit.
An “active” bioplastic
This material contains bioactive compounds of avocado and cellulose.To improve the properties of bioplastic and use it as a food packaging material. For this purpose, tests were carried out to verify the “bactericidal capacity for the storage of perishable products”, according to a statement from La Mayora.
Similarly, researchers note that this bioplastic is part of “active” food packaging because it releases substances “into the environment.” extending the shelf life of canned foods“To succeed in extending the useful life of canned food, controlling the growth of microorganisms, reducing oxidation and also preventing moisture loss in the food.
How was it done?
To obtain this bioplastic, the researchers soaked the paper in a solution of avocado byproducts extract supplied by the Málaga company Avomix, based in Vélez-Málaga, and after evaporation, the remaining material was “impregnated with microfibers,” which fill the pores and voids of the paper.
This It enables the bioplastic to obtain better mechanical properties and increase its ability to function as a barrier.
“Thanks to bioactive compounds found in avocado byproducts, this bioplastic has increased biodegradability and antioxidant capacity in seawater,” they add.
IHSM La Mayora researchers Diego Romero, Jesús Hierrezuelo and Montserrat Grifé conducted tests with the bacteria to confirm their bactericidal properties. Escherichia coli And bacillus cereusSubstances that can be found in foods and cause major diseases.
These tests show that this bioplastic Works as an antimicrobial physical barrier It is a product that can retain bacteria and therefore protect the food contained in this packaging.
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