Taking nanotechnology into future packaging
29 Mar 2018 | Nano Pack
The Nano Pack Project is an EU project around nanotechnology in packaging. “Nanopack is a nice project about developing antimicrobial packaging solutions to prevent food spoilage,” says Tim Devlamynck at Nano Pack. “We use essential oils, which are natural antimicrobials extracted from plants like oregano, for example. These compounds were known as antimicrobials for years, but we could never use them in packaging as during processing they evaporated, meaning that you ended up producing polymer films with holes. So here the innovative aspect is that we use nanotubes, which are based on a clay found in nature that occurs in the shape of tubes. This is quite a breakthrough. You could compare to normal PET but we offer an extended shelf-life because of the increased antimicrobial properties.”
Inuga Food Tech in Cologne.
I'm here with Tim D Vlamnik who is involved in the Nanopack project, which is an EU project around nanotechnology and packaging.
Tim, can you explain a bit about what this project is and what is the potential for nanotechnology in the packaging sector?
Very interesting, exciting area.
Indeed.
Nanopack, I think, is a really nice project indeed.
It's funded by Europe.
So what is it about?
It's about developing antimicrobial packaging solutions to prevent food spoilage, basically.
So what do we use as an antimicrobial are essential oils, so really natural products, products that are extracted from plants like for example, oregano.
These compounds are known already for decades to have an antimicrobial function.
However, we could never use them in packaging because during processing they evaporated, so you actually are producing polymer films with holes.
So here the innovative aspect of this project is that we include nanotubes.
So nanotubes is a is a is actually a clay, halozide clay that is found in nature in mines.
And it's a basic clay.
The special thing about it is that it occurs naturally in the shape of tubes.
So what do we do?
We load these nanotubes with the essential oils and that stabilizes them, so that means that we can use them during polymer processing.
So what we get then in the end is basically a packaging material containing these essential oils and exhibiting the antimicrobial properties or function.
So I really think this is quite a breakthrough in that respect that we can use for the first time natural compounds in packaging.
Why would somebody want to use this type of packaging technology as opposed to a more classic kind of form of PET, etc.
So for example, you could compare it to the normal polyethylene.
Of course we provide extra antimicrobial properties, so that means that the shelf life of food products are extended.
So let's say.
Typically food spoils maybe after one week here we can extend it to much longer.
There is already another technology available which is based on silver nanoparticles.
However, this technology is more efficient.
The antimicrobial properties are much better, and there is also no.
Debate about toxicity.
Silver nanoparticles are known to be toxic because we use natural products.
They are completely biocompatible, so that is the main advantage.
How far are we from seeing this type of packaging commercialized?
So we are now we still have 2 years to go in the project, but we are already very advanced.
And simultaneously we are also going through the regulatory pathway, so we foresee that it gets approved by 2020.
So let's say it could be commercialized 2020, 2021.
Is it something that's economically viable?
Is it going to be very expensive?
Actually these nanotubes, they sound expensive, but they are not.
They can be produced for €4 per kilo and you need very little amount.
So actually this packaging has virtually the same price as the normal packaging, I say the normal polyethylene, something very interesting to look out for.
Thank you, thank you so much.
Thank you.
