Validation of lamination the nanofibrous layer to the wrapping films used in the food industry

Title

Validation of lamination the nanofibrous layer to the wrapping films used in the food industry

Duration

3 December 2019 / 19 June 2020

VIDA Challenges

Resource-efficient food processing

Summary

The food industry still faces many problems. One of the biggest problems is premature food spoilage and this problem could be solved by smart packaging. Nanofibers as a part of a smart package can attach active substances to their large specific surface, which will keep the food fresh longer and guarantee better quality of food. Nanopharma is a company focussed on research, development and production of innovative materials based on nanofibers. This company has practical knowledge and experience in electrospinning of a wide range natural and synthetic polymers providing specific and useful properties to the nanofiber mats by means of different functionalization techniques. The aim of the project is the lamination of a defect-free three-layer food packaging material (packaging foil – non-woven fabric – nanofibrous layer) with perfect adhesion between individual layers in company Era-pack. There is a great potential for this technology to develop functionalized food packaging materials for high added-value products which require special conditions. In the first part of the project Nanopharma will produce nanofibrous layers with desirable chemical and morphology resistance from harmless materials for the final consumers. In the second part of this project, lamination of the nanofibrous layer to the packaging film will take place. At this step, technologists from Nanopharma and Era-pack will cooperate. The desired result is the perfect adhesion of the three layers (packaging foil – nonwoven fabric – nanofibrous layer), minimizing the damage to the nanofibrous layer. The direct incorporation of the pure nanofibrous layer into the packaging material is a complete innovation where the nanofibrous layer would become part of the packaging film for food industry applications. In the next development step, this technology will help to solve the problems of food companies with premature food spoilage. There is a great potential for functionalization of food packaging material when this lamination technology could be transferred to an industrial scale.