Biopolymer nanocomposite films and food packaging

Plastics produced from biodegradable polymers such as polylactide (PLA) are of increasing commercial interests. They are manufactured from renewable resources such as agricultural products and have the potential to meet environmental requirements.

However, a wider use of PLA in food packaging requires further material development in order to achieve the necessary stability and permeability profile to gas or water vapour. In the NanoPack project we will investigate improvement of PLA properties through nanoscale reinforcement using reinforcing fillers based on natural clay silicates and metal hydroxides

The National Food Institute will characterise nanoparticles migrating from PLA film and perform in-vitro and in-vivo toxicological studies on relevant effect parameters. A thorough risk characterisation in the context of their use in food packaging will be performed by integrating results from exposure estimates and toxicological studies.