BPM - ChitoSmart (BO-21.02-001-080, BO-12.05-004-080)

Project title:    Biocompatible chitosan-films and materials with enhanced antimicrobial properties (ChitoSmart)

Project partners:

• Apeldoorn Flexible Packaging
• Food & Biobased Research
• Heinz
• Nippon Suisan
• TNO

 

ChitoSmart: Plastic that keeps food fresh for longer

A compound found in the shell of shellfish or mushrooms could provide film packaging with anti-bacterial properties. In the ChitoSmart project researchers are working on this type of packaging material for food products. Chitin is the name of the compound which can be sourced from the shells of crabs and shrimps. But it can just as easily be harvested from mushrooms and other fungi or from biomass left over after fermentation. ‘We work with a derivative of chitin, chitosan, which is a polysaccharide with glucosamine as its most important component’, Carmen Boeriu explains. What makes chitosan attractive is that it kills bacteria and mould. ‘This makes it interesting to apply in packaging, but you could also use it in wound creams for example.’ The ChitoSmart project initially focuses on the development of packaging material which prevents the decomposition of food products. This requires research in different areas, Boeriu says. ‘For example, we would like to find out more about the working of the antimicrobial effect. Little is known about this. The theory is that when surface contact occurs, chitosan affects the cell wall of bacteria in such a way that the bacterium dies - they are positively charged polymers. If we find out more about the mechanism, we can start optimising the polymer, and thereby use it more effectively in products.’ A second tact starts with the mapping out of the bacteria and mould involved with decomposition. ‘We will then look at how chitosan works against these fungi and bacteria, and whether we can enhance this antimicrobial effect by making alterations to the chitosan.’ A third challenge will be the effective processing of the chitosan in the packaging material. ‘We can see the antimicrobial effect in the lab, but it has never been sold in a product. This is going to be exciting’, says Boeriu.

The intention is to process the chitosan derivatives in the plastic polymers. ‘This means they stay in that matrix, and do not soak into the food products. It concerns surface contact, after all. Bacteria and fungi are also on that surface.’ After applying it in food products, the researchers see wider applications towards the medical sector and cosmetics, in plasters and healing creams. In addition to the researchers of Food & Biobased Research and TNO, three companies are participating in the project: Nippon Suisan, which produces chitin and chitosan from shellfish and provides added value to waste, food company Heinz, which is interested in better packaging that guarantees good storage of a product for longer, also after opening, and packaging company AFP. This company mostly focuses on food packaging. ‘Our clients who pre-cut and package cheese and sausage now have a very dense distribution network in order to guarantee freshness as effectively as possible’ says Eddy Hilbrink, head of research and development at AFP. ‘Shelf life, particularly of fresh produce, is partly determined by the potential growth of fungi. An antibacterial film provides my clients with more options and reach. Longer shelf life also reduces the risk of consumers throwing away food.’ As it is an underlying problem, Hilbrink describes his company’s participation in the project as a gamble. ‘But I try to look ahead.’