New sustainable packaging for extending guacamole?s shelf life

The GUACAPACK?Project, funded by the Valencian Innovation Agency, aims?to use renewable sources to develop?an innovative biodegradable packaging system that?includes?barrier labels and antioxidant additives from avocado waste that will extend?food?s?shelf life?by 15%. When avocados are processed for use in food items, the amount of?waste?produced?can?account for more than?45% of the total weight?of the avocado.?In order to?make use of?this waste and extend the shelf life of?prepared products, AIMPLAS, the Plastics Technology Centre, is developing the GUACAPACK?Project, funded by the Valencian Innovation Agency (AVI). The project is led by the company ITC Packaging and the Universidad de Alicante?s research group on Polymer?and Nanomaterial?Analysis (Nanobiopol-UA) is also taking part.? The project?aims?to develop a new biodegradable packaging system from renewable sources that?also extends?the shelf life of food?by 15%,?thanks to a label with oxygen barrier?function?that prevents?the?oxidation?of food,?and?to?the incorporation of natural antioxidants extracted from?the?avocado itself, which also helps reduce?the use of synthetic preservatives.? To achieve this, starch from?the?avocado seed will be extracted and purified to obtain a film?that can be used to make?multilayer IML labels?that have?oxygen barrier?properties and?prevent?the?oxidation?of food. In addition,?the?active components?of waste avocado?skin and flesh with a high antioxidant capacity will be obtained?and used as a component of?a bioplastic (PLA) that will be injected moulded to manufacture?the packaging?system. When food makes?contact with?this system, its?shelf life?will be extended?by 15%.? This?option provides?an alternative to the use of synthetic additives, as well as?a new,?high value-added use for agri-food waste to obtain biodegradable packaging from renewable sources. The project is therefore fully aligned with circular economy?criteria. This?project?will also help achieve?the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals?(SDGs), especially SDG?3 on?Good Health?and?Well-Being, SDG?9 on?Industry, Innovation?and?Infrastructure,?and?SDG?12 on?Responsible Consumption?and?Production. About AIMPLASAt AIMPLAS, we help companies apply circular economy criteria to their business models and turn the legislative changes that affect the plastics industry into opportunities to improve company efficiency, reduce environmental impact and increase profitability. AIMPLAS also does research in areas such as recycling, biodegradable materials and products, and the use of biomass and CO2?with the aim of developing innovative solutions that help solve current environmental challenges.