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Fibrenamics from University of Minho develops innovative solutions for fresh food preservation
Saferfood is the name of the project developed by the International Platform of the University of Minho for use in food packaging, which will improve the quality of fresh packaged products and increase its shelf life.
Fibrenamics, the international platform of the University of Minho, presents Saferfood, the innovation project based on natural materials and nanomaterials for the use in food packaging, which will increase the shelf life of certain perishable products.
Developed from biopolymeric membranes reinforced with natural nanomaterials, Saferfood works as an absorbent pad for the interior of the packaging. With antibacterial and antifungal properties capable of increasing the shelf life of perishable products - such as conditioned meat in cuvettes for sale in supermarkets - this film is totally safe for food use and uses biodegradable materials, thus avoiding excessive consumption of non-recyclable plastics.
“We are very happy with the result of this project. The Fibrenamics team works daily with the goal of developing innovative and intelligent technologies and products, based on sustainable materials and at the nanoscale. Saferfood is yet another example of a product that we are sure will make a difference.
These packages bring benefits not only to the agri-food industry, with the reduction of food waste, but also to the final consumer who will be able to buy, for example, fresh meat with a longer shelf life, and all this, with a safer packaging and more sustainable”, says Diana Ferreira, researcher at the University of Minho and Scientific Coordinator of Fibrenamics.
The project's research and development work began in 2018, involved several researchers and is now in the final validation phase. “In this specific case of Saferfood, we have moved forward on our own initiative with the goal of creating a spinoff. The future strategy may involve attracting partners to finance the next stages of the process and selling the innovation to packaging companies or companies interested in being part of Saferfood's share capital ”, explains Diana Ferreira.
See the video presentation of the Saferfood project here: