Lithuanian Researchers Develop Packaging that Biodegrades and Keeps Food Fresher

In Lithuania, Kaunas University of Technology researchers believe they have developed a biodegradable food packaging that will keep food fresher for longer—reducing food waste and food packaging waste all in one fell swoop.

The material is made from cellulose, with clove ethereal oil and silver added. “Active components of clove ethereal oil are very effective in tying free radicals; this oil proved efficient in enriching packaging with anti-oxidizing qualities,” Vesta Navikaitė-Snipaitienė, chemical engineering PhD student at KTU, tells New Food Magazine. The ionic silver particles provided an antimicrobial effect while also giving the material added strength and elasticity. The material takes about two years to biodegrade in nature.

The work was led by Paulius Pavelas Danilovas, of KTU’s Department of Polymer Chemistry and Technology.