An Antibacterial, Biodegradable Polymeric Blend Formable as Food Wrap Material and Methods

Category- Advanced Food Packaging Applications – Fresh Produce Packaging

Industry – Food Packaging, Biopolymers

Market – Biodegradable Packaging Market is projected to grow to USD 140.66 billion by 2029, with a CAGR of 5.9% during 2024- 2029.

The food packaging industry faces challenges of bacterial contamination and slow degradation of packaging materials, leading to food spoilage and environmental pollution.
Current packaging materials are predominantly non-biodegradable, contributing to pollution in soil and oceans, and they lack antibacterial properties.
There is a need for the development of antibacterial, biodegradable polymers for food packaging, which not only address microbial growth but also degrade efficiently, adding nutritional value to the soil without causing pollution.

The invention presents an antibacterial, biodegradable polymeric blend composed of starch, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), and cyclic beta glucans (CBG), along with an antibacterial agent such as eugenol or chlorogenic acid, suitable for forming sheets or films as food packaging materials.
The polymeric blend’s composition ranges from 20-40% (w/v) starch, 0-10% (w/v) PVA, and 0-50% (w/v) CBG, with an antibacterial agent concentration varying from 0.1µg/mL to 1000 mg/mL. The resulting wrap material exhibits flexibility, water resistance, strength, and temperature stability, while being degradable within 21 days of disposal, with up to 98% degradation achieved within this period.
The process for preparing the polymeric blend involves steps such as starch solution preparation, PVA solution dissolution with the antibacterial agent, CBG dissolution, blending of PVA and CBG, casting the blend into molds, and incubating at 30°C. This method ensures reproducibility and enables the production of biodegradable food wrap materials with desired properties.

Antibacterial Protection:

Offering food packaging materials with built-in antibacterial properties addresses the pressing need to reduce food contamination risks during handling and storage.

Biodegradability:

Providing packaging materials that degrade within 21 days of disposal meets increasing consumer and regulatory demands for eco-friendly solutions.

Resource Efficiency:

Utilizing a blend of starch, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), and cyclic beta glucans (CBG) optimizes resource utilization, enhancing sustainability in the packaging manufacturing process.

Prof. Mukesh Doble

Department of Biotechnology

TRL – 4

Technology validated in lab scale.

Technology Transfer