Extend the shelf life of food by 15% with new biodegradable packaging – AIMPLAS

Introduced new biodegradable packaging to extend guacamole’s shelf life by 15%. Thanks to labels and additives extracted from the avocado itself.

Process for extraction 

When avocados are processed for application in food material, the quantity of waste produced can consider for more than 45% of the total weight of the avocado. To obtain this waste and increase the shelf life of prepared products, AIMPLAS is evolving the GUACAPACK Project, financed by the Valencian Innovation Agency (AVI). The plan is led by the company ITC Packaging, and the Universidad de Alicante’s research group on Polymer and Nanomaterial Analysis (Nanobiopol-UA) is additionally becoming part.

OTR Barrier

The project intends to generate a new biodegradable packaging system from renewable sources. It can also prolong the shelf life of food by 15%, thanks to a label with an OTR barrier function that stops the oxidation of food and the incorporation of natural antioxidants obtained from the avocado itself, which also helps decrease the use of synthetic preservatives.

To accomplish this, starch from the avocado seed will be extracted and refined to achieve a film that can be applied to create multilayer IML labels. It can have OTR barrier properties and block the oxidation of food. 

The active ingredients of waste avocado skin and flesh with a high antioxidant capacity will also be collected and used as a bioplastic (PLA) ingredient molded to manufacture the packaging system. When food gets in contact with this system, its shelf life will be extended by 15%.

This alternative provides an alternative to synthetic additives and an innovative, high value-added application for agri-food waste. It obtains biodegradable packaging from renewable sources, and the project is fully aligned with circular economy criteria.

This project will also complete the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 3 on Good Health and Well-Being, SDG 9 on Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, and SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production.

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