“The products added no only will be innocuous but besides through the use of these substances, will be able to dispense , of preservatives and boost a healthy diet”
Interview with Gabriel Morales, responsible for the project Andaltec Susfoflex
The Technological center of plastics (Andaltec) is involved in the international project Susfoflex funded by the European Union, which seeks to develop a smart plastic container. These innovative containers will incorporate temperature sensors allowing consumer to know the real state of the food while the remaining packaging. Recently, Andaltec met in Ireland with the other participants in the research study to discuss the results obtained at the equator of the project.
What is the Susfoflex project? And what does the Andaltec?
It is a project funded by the seventh framework programme of the Commission European, involving 15 organizations, including companies, technological centres and universities involving 8 different European countries. The project is therefore a work team which is coordinated by the Finnish University of Oulu. The objective of the project is to develop a new concept of active and intelligent packaging for foods, in particular fresh fruit cut and peeled and fish. Andaltec participates in various phases of the project and is leader of work intended to show package, this is to develop a functional prototype that demonstrates that all the technology developed by the Consortium is effectively transferable to small scale, the first step to its industrial production production. On the other hand to be nominated as a manager of the exploitation of the project I am in charge of the coordination of the protection and pursuit of profitability of the results that are obtained by the Consortium.
The image represents the logo of the Seventh Program Mark of the European Commission.
Basically, elbow are developing elbow with other centres and European companies with advanced technology to extend the expiration date of the product. The final consumer, how can detect the condition of the product? What kind of alarms and they will act as an indicator?
The mode to extend the expiration date without deterioration of the organoleptic properties of the food is precisely through the use of active packaging technologies that consist of the controlled release of substances of natural origin that may prevent or delay degradation and loss of quality of food. These substances will be extracted from by-products food thus its valorisation.
Consumers can check that the product is effectively under optimum conditions before opening thanks to sensor technologies. Also not only we limit to the time that food is open and is consummated but that these sensors will have memory and remember if sometime during the distribution or storage loft property is out of limits. We think for example that we are monitoring temperature and there is a break in the cold chain, if this happens the sensor recorded it and convey to consumers this information by means of different methods. Currently being considered in the Consortium a wide range of sensors thermochromic based on enzymatic processes or other reactions that indicate through a visual code, using your own mobile phone or through the use of radio frequency (RFID) that are also transmitted to a cell phone or other electronic device.
A type of alert would be through color, do you get this effect in the container?
Color for certain variables such as temperature change is well known and is performed with thermochromic inks. This ink is made from a substance sensitive to temperature change way reversible or irreversible depending on if we want to measure the change several times or just once. Indicators that are also chemicals that change color in this case due to a change in the substance induced by the pH of the medium are also used for the case of pH.
In the case of other specified substances generated during the degradation of food, chemical or enzymatic reactions that also result in a product with a characteristic color detectable to the naked eye are typically used.
The image shows the main entrance of the technological center of plastics where Gabriel Morales heads the research team at Susfoflex in Andaltec.
Other projects working in the manufacture of durable plastic. What the difference and makes unique Susfoflex?
In fact our goal is not to make durable plastic, we will develop a plastic in which both the polymer and additives are compostable and biodegradabes so that at the end of its useful life, it can be used as fertilizer for plants. On the other hand obtained active compounds are extracted from by-products getting a container much more respectful with the environment than the traditional.
The costs are especially taken into account in Susfoflex since they have to be accepted by the market, that is why have held recently a seminar to mark the strategy of exploitation of results. This seminar has been the importance of being consistent with the costs of production. We also work on the introduction of new packaging solutions in the market, we can say that this project is aimed to help develop the future production of containers.
The quality of packaged foods will be altered by this process, will be 100% safe? How will you protect food?
According to Community rules cannot be altered neither the taste nor the smell of food and Susfoflex we do not intend to do so. Added not only products will be safe but also through the use of these substances, such as e.g. antioxidants, you can dispense with preservatives and encourage a healthy diet.
What types of food can benefit from this technology? Also it is designed for delicate products such as baby foods?
In principle the draft proposed two different demos, first fruit cut and peeled and second fish. It is perishable food that a slight increase in its expiry time would have important economic consequences reflected both in the ability to reach more distant markets and reducing waste. Baby foods are not covered in the project. However, some of the results obtained is expected are potentially extrapolated form individual or joint child nutrition as well as other types of food.
Recently, representatives of this project met in Ireland to put on the table the objectives achieved. What conclusion reached Andaltec? At what stage is the project?
We are now just at the midpoint of the three-year project. The project is being quite successful and continues to advance in a very active and committed. We already have a battery of active compounds that have been added to bioplastic and he is studying its compatibility and functionality under certain conditions. On the other hand, there are various designs of sensors and software that will be used for communication with the consumer. Our impression is very positive. The meeting held last June in the town of Athlone was attended by a representative of the European Commission Catherine Eccles and the Minister of Irish State small business John Perry.
We understand that one of the main objectives is its industrial marketing. The 'target' is this product it for?
The profitability of this research is of course a fundamental objective. The project will end with a non-tradable prototype but that demonstrates its industrial production. In the final stages of the project will carry out a study of acceptance by consumers who will provide us with very valuable information. Any consumer may be interested in this type of product. It is clear that this type of developments seek to a consumer who wants a quick access to fresh products packaged and minimally processed, as peeled fruit ready to eat, it's a consumer awareness with environmental problems and health.
It is a smart technology and a sustainable final product. What does it sustainable?
The product is potentially sustainable because the materials that compose it come from the vast majority of renewable materials, even of organic wastes that were disposed of before. We are unlinking us as far as possible of non-renewable materials. Thus, whenever a rational use of resources and not be done is overexploited can reach to have a sustainable production of this type of packaging, something unattainable if the plastic came from non-renewable resources such as oil.
