July 19, 2021
Indian Scientists have found an environment friendly option for packaging of food and other products. The bio-polymer developed by scientists at the Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (CIFT) was made from seaweed, which already has scientifically proven uses as nutrition-packed human food and industrial applications.
After four years of research, scientists at Veraval-based Central Institute of fisheries technology (CIFT) have developed a biodegradable plastic film extracted from seaweed. This film, they say, will be a game-changer as a substitute for plastic used in food packaging. Veraval CIFT was given the project to find seaweed extract that could be a cheaper and biodegradable option for plastic. CIFT is set to handover the technology to industries for commercial production.
One of the scientists, who worked on the project, explained that Biopolymers provide an excellent alternative to petroleum-derived polymers as they are environmentally friendly and naturally available. Not only it’s biodegradable but antimicrobial agents, anti-fungal compounds and nano-silver particles that have antibacterial property can also be added do it.
Food companies like those making fried snacks use a multi-layer plastic which keeps the contents fresh. But once dumped, such plastic wreaks havoc with earth’s ecosystem as it takes hundreds of years to get destroyed. The key component for this was agar, which was extracted from seaweed. Agar is known for its excellent gel-forming ability, bio-compatibility, and thermo-plasticity and therefore it was tested as an alternative to petroleum-based plastic packaging material. The silver nano particles reinforced with agar film has antibacterial function which can preserve the packaged food better with extended shelf life. Sources said there is a huge potential to make this bio-polymer along Gujarat’s long coastline. If scaled, it can generate employment too and create new business avenues for locals.