Malaga researchers from the La Mayora institute, linked to the CSIC, have developed a paper-based bioplastic that incorporates extracts from the skin and stone of the fruit
A group of researchers from the La Mayora Subtropical and Mediterranean Horticulture Institute, linked to the CSIC and the University of Malaga, have managed to generate a bioplastic based on paper that incorporates avocado skin and pit extracts.
This discovery, which has been published in the journal Food Chemistry – in which professionals from the Università degli Studi della Basilicata (Italy), the Institute of Materials Science of Seville (Spain) and the Università degli Studi di Salerno (Italy) have collaborated -, constitutes an example of the concept of circular economy , given that waste from the food industry is used to generate a new material, In addition, with improved properties, such as greater impermeability, biodegradability and antioxidant capacity.
As researchers José Alejandro Heredia and Susana Guzmán explain, this bioplastic “takes advantage of the waste produced in avocado processing industries, in which guacamole is made from this fruit.
An “active” bioplastic
This material is obtained by incorporating the bioactive compounds of avocado and cellulose to mimprove the properties of bioplastic and be able to use it as a material for food packaging. To this end, tests have been carried out to verify its “bactericidal capacity for the storage of perishable products,” they explain from La Mayora.
The new IHSM La Mayora building, in Malaga
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Likewise, the researchers point out that this bioplastic is part of “active” food packaging, because it releases substances into the environment “to extend the shelf life of preserved food“, managing to prolong the useful life of the preserved food, control the growth of microorganisms, reduce oxidation and also prevent the loss of moisture in the food.
How it was made?
To obtain this bioplastic, the researchers impregnated paper in a solution of the extract of avocado by-products – provided by the Malaga company Avomix, located in Vélez-Málaga – and after its evaporation, the material that remains “is impregnated in the microfibers, occupying the pores and cavities of this paper”.
This It allows the bioplastic to obtain better mechanical qualities and increase its ability to function as a barrier.
“Thanks to the bioactive compounds present in avocado by-products, this bioplastic has increased its biodegradability in seawater and its antioxidant capacity,” they add.
La Mayora Avocados
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To verify its bactericidal characteristics, IHSM La Mayora researchers Diego Romero, Jesús Hierrezuelo and Montserrat Grifé carried out tests with the bacteria. Escherichia coli and Bacillus cereuswhich can be found in food and cause major illnesses.
These tests demonstrated that this bioplastic works as an antimicrobial physical barrier which is capable of retaining bacteria and thus protecting the food contained in this packaging.
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