This news article was originally written in Spanish. It has been automatically translated for your convenience. Reasonable efforts have been made to provide an accurate translation, however, no automated translation is perfect nor is it intended to replace a human translator. The original article in Spanish can be viewed at Alimentos mejor conservados, gracias a nuevos materiales y sustancias para envases activos

The project Novovase, developed by ainia and Aimplas, deepens in the knowledge of the mechanisms that occur in the interaction between active substances and the food

Better foods conserved, thanks to new materials and substances for active containers

David Pozo14/01/2013

The active containers are those able to interact with the product to improve his useful life and contribute like this greater guarantees of quality and alimentary hygiene, a question that concerns increasingly to consumers and alimentary industry. Aimplas and Ainia, in the frame of the alliance between both centres, study new substances and material that present a functional activity that can be applied to the systems of active packaging of the foods.

The project bases in identifying active substances and polymeric materials, and in which instructions for use and transformation have to use to improve the useful life of the perishable foods. Like this, they minimise the derivative losses of the deterioration of the foods thanks to a better conservation and greater durability. "What do specifically is to study pertinent substances of common spices (romero, garlic, albahaca, etc.), of the which use the extracts of his essential oils, incorporating them by means of distinct technologies to the materials of container. The aim is to determine the effects that the containers with these substances incorporated have on the useful life of the foods, especially on vegetal products and cool fish”, puntualiza in an interview with Interempresas José Ángel Garde, technician of the Department of Technologies of Container of Ainia.

Laboratory of containers of Ainia.

The project deepens precisely in the knowledge of the mechanisms that occur in the interaction between these active substances and the food. For this, are studying these components that act on the oxidation and the microbiological growth of the food packed, main causes of his deterioration. Through this project, are analysing the materials that protect to the food of the adverse agents (oxygen, humidity, light, microorganisms), by a part, and also are identifying the polymers bearers (compound) of functional substances with beneficial effects on the food as well as the edible coatings deposited directly on the own food. “To be able to incorporate the active substances in the container and put them near of the food go to study different alternative, as for example applying them in the formulation of the coating of the food or in the own container”, signals José Ángel Garde.

So that a substance was considered like functional, will have to show his activity on the own food in studies of simulations and his antimicrobic activity on crops of isolated microorganisms.

Ainia And Aimplas together of the hand

“In ainia are specialised in the own food and in how interactúa with active substances or with the own container, whereas Aimplas is expert in the transformation of the plastic materials allocated to the containers. To the hour to formulate the container with the active substances, can realise of two ways: by means of the application of coatings or by the formulation of the prime matter that uses for extruir the films. In this point is where are establishing the collaboration between ainia and Aimplas, since this last goes to take part in the transformation of the raw materials of the plastic materials to be able to obtain films of packaging", it explains the technician of the Dep. Of Tecnonologías of Container of Ainia.

In the project already has covered the phase to test if the substances selected like active had effect on the microflora usual manager of the deterioration of the food, fundamentally of cool fish; and the phase of the necessary studies to see how incorporate the active substances to the processes of conventional transformation of container, well was by coating or by extrusion. “From now the aim is in obtaining material prototype that allow already realise experiments of packaging with real foods”, adds the professor Garde.

José Ángel Garde, technician of the Department of Technologies of Container of Ainia, during a proof in the laboratory of the institute.

The present and the future of the container

The mejoría of the containers to ensure the hygiene of the foods and also for his best conservation is an unquestionable fact for Jose Ángel Garde. “it is evolving To adjust the provision that offers the container and the system of packaging to the requests that has the food, that is to say, does not produce a sobreenvasado unnecessary of the food”. In addition to the active containers, at present also is working in the practicidad of the container, something that sues increasingly the consumer, for example with containers recerrables; containers that no rasguen with ease; or containers that can enter in the microwaves or oven to be able to heat his content; etc.

To the question if today a container is safer that 15 years ago, the technician of Ainia shows categorical: “Without any doubt, because it is him giving a lot of more importance to the study of the container, at the same time that they are fulfilling much more the requirements. This does not want to say that 15 years ago it did not have them, but yes is truth that at present fulfil much more, because the provider and the consumer demand these requirements”.

Active containers, a bet of future

The active containers are systems of packaging that exert an additional specific function to the one to constitute a physical barrier between the product that contain and the outside, happen to exert an active paper in the maintenance or even improves of the quality of the food packed. Between his characteristics, stands out his capacity to lengthen the useful life of the food packed, increasing the length of the product. Besides, they keep the sensory and nutritional properties of the food and contribute to the ease of use and comfort of utilisation by part of the consumer.

The project Novovase, inside the program of projects in collaboration in R&D promoted by the Institute of the Small and Average Valencian Industry (Impiva), has been cofinanciado by the Bottoms FEDER, inside the Operative Program FEDER of the Comunitat Valencian 2007-2013.