Quality and Safety of Food and Feed

Photo: ATB

Project

Title
Neuartige feuchteregulierende Kunststoff-Verpackungen - mit deliqueszenten Salzen in der Polymermatrix - zur Verhinderung von Kondensat am Beispiel nässeempfindlicher Champignons und Erdbeeren
Acronym
ReguPack
Start
01.12.2012
End
30.11.2014
Coordinating Institute
Fraunhofer-Institut für Verfahrenstechnik und Verpackung
Coordinator
Sven Sängerlaub
Partner
Fraunhofer-Institut für Verfahrenstechnik und Verpackung

Summary
International studies have shown that up to a third of agricultural products spoil before they reach the consumer due to incorrect post-harvest handling. There are further losses whilst the products are being stored by consumers. A key reason is often the high relative humidity in the packaging and the condensation of water. This arises in fresh products due to respiration and transpiration process and exacerbates the microbial spoiling. It is desirable to have a packaging that either suppresses the formation of condensation or actively absorbs condensation that forms on the product or packaging material, without drying out the packaged goods. The objective of the ReguPack project is to develop moisture-regulating packaging systems for products that rapidly spoil such as fruit berries and mushrooms. These costly products are particularly sensitive to moisture and only keep for a few days. It would be attractive for both retailers and consumers if the storage life could be prolonged. In order to regulate the moisture, toxicologically harmless, deliquescent salts are directly incorporated into the packaging materials. They absorb any water that is produced within the packaging. For mushrooms and strawberries a relative humidity between 90% and 95% is optimal. In order to maintain the relative humidity in the packaging within a defined range, specific salts must be chosen. In order to adjust the water absorption capacity and kinetics, a variety of parameters can be varied such as the salt concentration, grain size, polymer matrix, and also process engineering steps during the manufacture of the packaging material. The joint project is being undertaken by the Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging IVV, which has expertise in packaging systems, and the Leibniz-Institut für Agrartechnik Potsdam-Bornim e.V. (ATB), which has expertise in fresh products. The development of a novel moisture-regulating packaging material, which hitherto has not been available in the marketplace, will improve the competitiveness of SMEs by allowing them to serve specially adapted solutions for niche markets.

Funding
Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Technologie (BMWi)
Funding agency
Arbeitsgemeinschaft industrieller Forschungsvereinigungen "Otto von Guericke" e.V. (AiF)
Grant agreement number
17609 N/2

Cookies

We use cookies. Some are required to offer you the best possible content and functions while others help us to anonymously analyze access to our website. (Matomo) Privacy policy

Required required

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the proper functioning of the website. This category only includes cookies that ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

Cookie Duration Description
PHPSESSID Session Stores your current session with reference to PHP applications, ensuring that all features of the site can be displayed properly. The cookie is deleted when the browser is closed.
bakery 24 hours Stores your cookie preferences.
fe_typo_user Session Is used to identify a session ID when logging into the TYPO3 frontend.
__Secure-typo3nonce_xxx Session Security-related. For internal use by TYPO3.
Analytics

With cookies in this category, we learn from visitors' behavior on our website and can make relevant information even more accessible.

Cookie Duration Description
_pk_id.xxx 13 months Matomo - User ID (for anonymous statistical analysis of visitor traffic; determines which user is being tracked)
_pk_ses.xxx 30 minutes Matomo - Session ID (for anonymous statistical analysis of visitor traffic; determines which session is being tracked)