Project Abstract:

Packaging, continues to be one of the most important and innovative areas in development of new processes and products. Nowadays, the directive is to develop intelligent, biodegradable, human and environmentally friendly, and specific - biological packaging providing antimicrobial and antioxidant functionalities. The possibility of obtaining new materials, with antioxidant properties, by mixing two or more polymers with an antioxidant component represents a practical better solution, from economical point of view, than synthesis of new polymers.

This is why, the main goal of this project is to obtain new bioactive packaging films with antimicrobial and antioxidant properties using cryogelation as a non-destructive method. Moreover, these films possess biodegradability properties with grown significance on the environment. Polysaccharides are ideal candidates to obtain films, due to the non-toxic behavior and their biocompatibility toward living organisms, the capacity of biodegradation at the contact with biological fluids.

The purpose of the project is to obtain new film packaging materials based on polysaccharide xanthan (X)(E-415) and poly vinyl alcohol (PVA)(FDA has approved PVA to be in close contact with food products; PVA films exhibit excellent barrier properties for food packaging systems). The new coating material will be characterized in detail, aiming its applicability in the food industry. Obtaining new bioactive packaging films, using as raw material, xanthan and PVA both biodegradable will increase the interest of companies in the food industry (packaging) with the intention to increase their market share at the national and European level.