Foodstuffs packaging will now become environmentally friendly
A major problem for the packaging of fatty foods is that many of them have proven to be damaging to the environment and they are also difficult to break down. New research from KTH can pave the way to new foodstuffs packagings which can both deal with oils and fats better than before at the same time as being environmentally friendly.
The need for fat and oil resistant paper-based packaging for bread and other pastries, fast food and animal food is increasing. At the same time, the paper packagings found on the market have been quite controversial because they often contain substances that are extremely damaging to the environment. Either that or they completely lack barriers for oils and fats.
“Fluorinated surfactants and polymers have been used before, but they are toxic and have very low biodegradability. They accumulate in nature as well as in human tissue,” says Christian Aulin, doctoral student at the Faculty of Fibre and Polymer Technology, KTH.
His thesis deals with the fundamental factors which govern the spread of oils in different types of paper. This fundamental research will then hopefully be able to lead to the development of fat-resistant paper packagings which have better qualities than today’s packagings.
“My research has been centred around improving today’s fat barriers, both with a focus on efficiency and on the environmental aspect. Together with the company Innventia, I have developed a material which is called “microfibrillated cellulose”, MFC, which consists of 100% cellulose and is therefore completely biodegradable and renewable, says Christian Aulin.
Besides the fact that MFC has proven to be non-porous for oils, it is also non-porous to the air. This means that it would be possible to replace different plastic materials such as polyethylene and aluminium foil used in today’s packagings, for example Tetra Pak.
“Just imagine if you could keep oil in cardboard instead of plastic,” says Christian Aulin.
The methods that have been studied mean that oil and fat-resistant cellulose is produced through the chemical and topographical modification of cellulose. A major part of Christian Aulin’s work has also been spent developing cellulosic surfaces with different crystalline properties.
For more information, contact Christian Aulin at caulin@kth.se or ring 08 - 790 83 11.
Peter Larsson