H2020 YPACK Project: High-performance polyhydroxyalkananoate-based packaging to minimize food waste
- Type Project
- Status Filled
- Execution 2017 -2021
- Assigned Budget 5.996.591,02 €
- Scope Europeo
- Main source of financing H2020
- Project website YPACK
Petroleum-derived plastics used in food packaging contribute to the growing plastic waste problem. The EU Circular Economy Strategy proposes alternative packaging solutions using food industry by-products, such as cheese, whey, and almond shells.
These solutions aim to ensure biodegradability and recyclability, while reducing food waste. In this context, the EU-funded YPACK project will carry out the pre-industrial scale-up and validation of two innovative food packaging options based on PHAs (polyhydroxyalkanoates). These include a thermoformed tray and a flow-pack pouch, both equipped with active and passive barrier properties. The project will adopt a comprehensive approach and methodology encompassing package development, product validation, a societal approach (dissemination, policy, and regulatory aspects), and market evaluation.
The work carried out on the YPACK project has resulted in two products:
- A bio-based and biodegradable multilayer film based on polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) with an enhanced oxygen barrier and antimicrobial properties for food packaging applications. This innovative active multilayer film can be considered a potential candidate for use in the design of organic and recyclable active food packaging, as the active and barrier properties of these materials are advantageous for food preservation. The developed multilayers can be applied as packaging lids, food contact layers, and flow packs. Indeed, within the framework of YPACK, the viability of these films as flow packs for fruit packaging has been tested.
- Thermoformed trays (YPACK23, YPACK25 and YPACK27), where YPACK27 contains almond shell waste and a new grade of PHA derived from cheese whey waste.
Both key exploitable results have led to final product prototypes and have been tested with various foods in commercial shelf-life studies. For further exploitation and commercialization, the idea would be to further optimize the scalability of the process to reduce costs and improve finished quality, as well as license the technology to companies interested in the products.
In addition, several results that are not yet considered scalable products have been mentioned as possible exploitable intermediate results, such as:
- Optimization of microcellulose production from almond industry by-products
- Improvement of a new process for the production of PHBV-rich microbial biomass derived from cheese whey
- Hot-tacks based on electrospun nanofibers as an alternative to petrochemical adhesives
- Biodegradable active blown film
- Improvements in the development of methods for the purification and extraction of PHA from cheese whey
In terms of dissemination, the YPACK brand as well as the aforementioned project results have been shared throughout the project lifecycle through various activities, including posting news on the YPACK website and social media (mainly Twitter and LinkedIn), attending and presenting at webinars and events, issuing newsletters, and publishing several scientific publications.
The use of petroleum-derived plastics in the food packaging sector has increased in recent decades due to various advantages, such as their low cost, versatility, mechanical properties, ease of processing, and more. However, their overuse has led to serious environmental problems. So much so that, today, we produce around 300 million tons of plastic waste per year, which is practically equivalent to the weight of the entire human population.
The problem is that plastic waste, whether in the ocean or on land, can persist in the environment for centuries and generate microplastics as it decomposes. This is causing serious environmental and health problems, leading to increased global interest in replacing plastics with biodegradable plastics, with particular attention to the food packaging sector.
The use of biomaterials and compostable and biodegradable resources (under environmental conditions) is considered one of the many strategies to minimize the environmental impact of petroleum-derived plastics. These materials are compatible with the Circular Bioeconomy strategy, where waste is reused to manufacture packaging, which then returns carbon to the soil through organic recycling.
High-performance biodegradable packaging derived from polluting industrial waste, such as cheese whey, has attracted particular attention as it could be the ultimate solution to combat plastic pollution without compromising the quality and food safety aspects inherent in plastic packaging. For this reason, the YPACK team has been working on innovative food packaging solutions based on waste-derived polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), which have reached commercial exploitation for some of the developed items, even during the project's implementation.
Briefly, YPACK has set out to scale the production and commercial validation of two food packaging solutions based on biodegradable polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) derived from biowaste. The actions carried out within the project included:
- Consumer profiles and market research to identify consumer preferences and market needs.
- Several processes related to the production of monolayer and multilayer systems were optimized and scaled up to a pre-industrial scale.
- High barrier and active performance that allows the preservation of complex foods.
- Life cycle assessments (LCAs) and shelf-life studies are being carried out on meat, fruits, vegetables, and pasta. These latter activities are currently being carried out by two retail partners and a food company.
The main objective of YPACK is the pre-industrial scale-up and validation of two innovative food packaging solutions (thermoformed tray and flow-pack pouch) based on PHA, with active and passive barrier properties. The new packaging will utilize food industry byproducts (cheese whey and almond shells), guarantee biodegradability and recyclability, and reduce food waste, within the framework of the EU's Circular Economy strategy.
YPACK will apply a holistic approach and methodology encompassing different areas of expertise: packaging solution development (PHBV layer production, composites, prototyping, industrial validation), product validation (quality/shelf-life), societal focus (customer profiling, dissemination, policies and regulations), and market evaluation (business study and risk assessment). YPACK is aligned with the EU Circular Economy strategy, including the use of bio-based food industry by-products, LCA studies, packaging recyclability and biodegradability, and food waste reduction. The project is built in accordance with the European Commission's Responsible Research and Innovation guidelines.
The project has a total duration of 36 months. Various processes related to the production of passive and active multilayer systems based on raw PHBV will be optimized and scaled up to pre-industrial scale to validate the production of the proposed packaging solutions for extending the shelf life of selected food products. These solutions consist of:
- a multi-layer tray with an internal active layer, and
- a multi-layer flow pack with improved barrier properties.
In the first stage of the project, a consumer profile and market research will be conducted to identify consumer preferences and market needs, and adapt them to new EU regulations and advances in packaging materials.
The project's main advances, beyond the state-of-the-art, are the development and scaling-up of a novel PHA biopolymer derived from cheese whey and low-cost, biodegradable PHA-based thermoformable composites from biowaste. Another major project breakthrough is the development of a thermoformable multilayer concept with a high gas barrier.
YPACK products employ safe nanotechnology strategies, such as continuous nanocellulose interlayers and electrospun heat-seal adhesives, to exhibit the desired functionalities. Currently, no bio-based compostable packaging exists that can achieve these desired properties.
At the end of the project, we were able to scale up fully functional biodegradable packaging, namely thermoformed trays and multilayer films. These concepts were evaluated in terms of LCA, biodegradability in the environment and composting, migration, and as packaging elements for extending the shelf life of several selected food products, with satisfactory results.
- CONSEJO SUPERIOR DE INVESTIGACIONES CIENTIFICAS (CSIC)
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