Development of biodegradable active tray based on starch and added with antimicrobial-loaded lignin nanoparticles

Abstract

In the food industry, packaging plays a key role in ensuring that people have access to safe and nutritious food. However, a large part of food packaging is made up of synthetic polymers derived from petroleum, whose extraction, refining, production and disposal cause considerable environmental damage, in addition to, in most cases, not contributing to the conservation of food beyond its role. as a physical barrier. In this context, the development of biodegradable packaging has gained increasing prominence for producing clean disposal materials and sustainable production; additionally, obtaining these materials with functionalities that add value is also of extreme interest. Given the above, the general objective of this project is the development of biodegradable trays, based on starch, and with active properties, due to the incorporation of nanoparticles of lignin loaded with antimicrobial. For this purpose, initially the lignin will be extracted using natural deep eutectic solvents (NADES) from residual biomass of different vegetables that have not yet been exploited for this purpose, such as peanut, coconut and soybean hulls. After extraction and characterization, the obtained lignins will be structurally organized aiming at the formation of nanoparticles, which will later be loaded with an antimicrobial. The lignin nanoparticles will be characterized and then incorporated into formulations aiming at obtaining starch-based biodegradable active trays that will be produced by the thermocompression process. The functionality of the trays will be evaluated through their use as a vehicle for a meat product. In view of the above, with the development of this proposal, it is expected to obtain lignin extracted with biodegradable solvents and agro-industry residues, lignin particles loaded with antimicrobials and biodegradable trays with active properties.