Innovative bio-packaging to preserve quality and extend the shelf-life of fruits and vegetables
| Componente | Categoria |
|---|---|
| Andrea Salvo | Componenti strutturati del gruppo di ricerca / Structured participants in the research project |
| Giacomo Di Matteo | Dottorando/Assegnista/Specializzando componente non strutturato del gruppo di ricerca / PhD/Assegnista/Specializzando member non structured of the research group |
| Anna Maria Giusti | Componenti strutturati del gruppo di ricerca / Structured participants in the research project |
| Componente | Qualifica | Struttura | Categoria |
|---|---|---|---|
| Noemi Proietti | Ricercatore | Istituto per I Sistemi Biologici/CNR | Altro personale aggregato Sapienza o esterni, titolari di borse di studio di ricerca / Other aggregate personnel Sapienza or other institution, holders of research scholarships |
| Anatoly P. Sobolev | Ricercatore | Istituto per i Sistemi Biologici/CNR | Altro personale aggregato Sapienza o esterni, titolari di borse di studio di ricerca / Other aggregate personnel Sapienza or other institution, holders of research scholarships |
| Valeria Di Tullio | Ricercatore | Istituto per I sistemi Biologici/CNR | Altro personale aggregato Sapienza o esterni, titolari di borse di studio di ricerca / Other aggregate personnel Sapienza or other institution, holders of research scholarships |
| Archimede Rotondo | Ricercatore | Dipartimento di Scienze biomediche, odontoiatriche e delle immagini morfologiche e funzionali, Università di Messina | Altro personale aggregato Sapienza o esterni, titolari di borse di studio di ricerca / Other aggregate personnel Sapienza or other institution, holders of research scholarships |
| Nicola Cicero | RTDB | Dipartimento di Scienze biomediche, odontoiatriche e delle immagini morfologiche e funzionali, Università di Messina | Altro personale aggregato Sapienza o esterni, titolari di borse di studio di ricerca / Other aggregate personnel Sapienza or other institution, holders of research scholarships |
A multidisciplinary project is proposed to preserve fruits and vegetables by a new optimized bio-packaging system with high performance and reduced environmental impact. A current key challenge of the packaging industry is the replacement of oil-based plastics with eco-sustainable biomaterials. New materials for food packaging must have high-level performances in maintaining shelf-life, food quality and stability from production to consumption. A new biofilm will be developed starting from chitosan powder added with a mixture of officinal essential oils and Aloe Vera gel for ensuring a relevant antimicrobial and antioxidant activity. The obtained biofilm will be totally eco-sustainable, edible, removable, ultra-thin, high film-forming, antimicrobial,
ans capable of preserving local fruits and vegetables that will be selected according to the seasonality and market requirements.
The functionality of the new biofilm will be investigated through a multimethodological protocol consisting of chemical, microbiological, and sensorial analyses applied to fresh and packaged products. Untargeted methodologies will be applied to obtain a comprehensive metabolite profiling, whereas targeted methodologies will allow polyphenols, anthocyanins, carotenoids, volatile compounds, fatty acids and potential contaminants to be obtained. Microbiological and sensorial analyses will be carried out to assess the product quality. The potential changes of the food microstructure will be studied investigating transport phenomena and water dynamics over time. This project will take advantage of the food science, engineering, chemical and nutritional skills of the involved partners. These skills will allow a prototype tested in laboratory and simulated environment to be realized. The project findings will be also a key requisite to reinforce the networking with other partners and companies in this promising research field.