Scientists at South Ural State University (SUSU) have developed an eco-friendly food film with unique properties. It can increase the shelf life of products, indicate decay processes, and become a replacement for plastic film used for packaging in supermarkets.
Biosensor Film Indicates Food Staleness
Ural scientists used honeysuckle juice as an active component to create the biosensor film. This berry contains anthocyanins — plant pigments that change color depending on the environment.
For example, if meat is packaged in a red biosensor film, it will change color during storage. The chameleon film will tell the buyer that the product has started to spoil.
Bioactive Film That Decomposes Quickly
The active component of the film, which extends the shelf life of products, is protein hydrolyzate. It contains peptides with antimicrobial and antioxidant effects. An experiment showed that tomatoes and cherries covered with such a bioactive film stay fresh longer.
The researchers pointed out that the main feature of the films was biodegradability. Under the influence of moisture and soil microflora, it turns into biohumus in 2 weeks.
