Program justification

I have a BSC degree in Food and Biochemical Technology from Bahir Dar University of
Ethiopia and M.Tech degree in Food Technology (Spec. Food Processing Technology) from
Osmania University of India. Therefore, extending my study with the program related to food
processing is reasonably justifiable. The knowledge and skills that I have gained throughout my
undergraduate and graduate study has prepared me as a best candidate for the Ph.D. program in
Food Science/Technology/Engineering. The program will prepared me for professional
placement in the various areas of food processing, especially in teaching and research activities.
My academic and career interests also best fit with the program study. The program has study
and research option, which I am interested i.e. new materials and processes development from
natural bio-based raw materials using for food packaging. I hope to obtain advances in bio-
polymers and composites materials, development, processing, characterization and performance
evaluation of packaging materials used for sustainable food packaging.
Theme
The theme I am interested is development of new materials and processes focused on
development and processing of food packaging films from natural bio-based raw materials
Research problem
The traditional petroleum based packaging materials are a major source of pollution and has
negative impact on climate & the environment. Effect of the global climate and environmental
challenges are increasing and it is affecting the less contributor African countries including
Ethiopia. These challenges pressures for the solutions and lead the researchers on to find new
and sustainable replacements for petrochemical-based plastics, and working on viable solutions,
focusing on bio-derived materials.
The efficient conversion of bio-based raw materials into food packaging materials is important to
establish green circular economy. Therefore, the research can offer a sustainable alternative of
the conventional plastic packaging, plastic wastes will be reduced and the negative impacts
minimized.
The interests of food industry and the consumer are increasing towards using the biodegradable
packaging. However, there are challenges on performance & functional properties, and
processing.
Proposed Solution
Materials, which are bio-based used for food packaging, will be developed. Methods for
enhanced properties, functional and physical performances, will be applied. Proper selection and
characterization of raw materials will be conducted. It will allow to understand and evaluate their
properties. Blends for effective reinforcement will be also investigated. Moreover, active agents
will be applied for increased food preservation and safety. Finally, the pilot production will be
tested and optimize the process conditions.
Objectives
1. To develop food packaging material composition with enhanced mechanical and physical
properties
2. To apply active agents into the composition for enhanced food preservation
3. To explore scalable and cost-effective processing methods to ensure commercial
viability.
4. To the optimize processing conditions for commercial production
Bibliographic review
In the last decades, there has been a marked increase in the use of natural polymer based film
materials in packaging, which prevents food from external contamination, retardation of
deterioration by extension of its shelf life and maintenance of its quality and safety. Natural
polymer based films for food packaging can replace the non-biodegradable petroleum-based
synthetic polymers at a low cost, thereby producing a positive effect both environmentally and
economically [1].
Natural polymers based packaging films available for food packaging include protein based
edible films and films from cellulose and its derivatives. Protein-based edible films offer
alternative packaging sources that can be used for versatile food products to reduce loss of
moisture from food, can restrict the absorption of oxygen, lessen the migration of lipids,
improving mechanical handling properties, and can provide physical protection to food.
Cellulose derivatives are a class of natural polymers in which cellulose is swollen to form films
with higher tensile strength and improved water vapor properties.
Currently research is focusing on the blending, layering, and filling cellulose derivatives with
different biopolymers or synthetic polymers to enhance the mechanical and barrier properties,
therefore strengthening their position in competition with other packaging materials available for
food packaging. Films are synthesized involving biopolymers and the preparation of their
modified derivatives to develop a class of natural packaging films, which will revolutionize the
food packaging industry using various different formulations.
Petroleum resources being limited in nature will soon be depleted as well as there are serious
issues related to the disposal of synthetic polymers for food packaging. The advent of
biodegradable packaging material in the market is due to the increase in the prices of crude oil,
consumer demand for increased shelf life of food, proliferation of convenience packaging, the
need of a cleaner and pollution free environment. Nowadays consumer’s demands for products
that are non-toxic, economically and environmentally feasible leading to a conclusion that
biodegradable packaging of food products will become increasingly popular in a span of time.
Biopolymers are long chain compounds, which are made up of long chain molecule subunits. A
biopolymer can be an organic polymer. Various natural biopolymers such as starch, cellulose,
chitosan, PLA, PHB etc. are used for packaging of food.
Natural Biopolymers
Generally, natural biopolymers are extracted naturally from polysaccharides, lipids, and proteins.
Polysaccharides may consist of cellulose, alginate, starch, chitosan (CS), pectin, gum,
carrageenan, pullulan, or derivatives of these substances. However, these materials have
drawbacks when applied in biopolymers production. Biopolymer-based materials such as starch
and cellulose have poor water vapor barrier characteristics because of their hydrophilic nature.
These attributes contribute to a reduction in the mechanical strength of biopolymer films and
impede their long-term stability, making them susceptible to moisture content [2]. Poor film
processability, brittleness, and susceptibility to breakage are some other drawbacks. In general,
protein-based films have excellent mechanical characteristics and are effective barriers to oxygen
gas at moderate relative humidity. However, their hydrophilic nature made their water vapor
barrier quality not very effective [2].
Packaging films may have in their composition two main based materials, a biomacromolecule
matrix and additives, such as plasticizers, cross-linkers, other reinforcements substances and
functional ingredients [3]. These materials can be used alone or blended.
The processing methods for packaging films development is influenced by many factors, such as
matrix composition, solubility, thermal behavior, flexibility, as well as their compatibility &
cohesion forces, e.g., ionic, covalent and H-bonding, between polymer chains, & presence of
additives [4, 5, 6].
For the films production, mainly two types of methods are used, wet and dry processes. In the
wet process, also known as casting, polymers are solubilized and dispersed onto a flat surface,
then dried under specific conditions until film formation. In the dry processing, different
methods, extrusion, injection, blow-molding, and heat-pressing, can be used without the use of
liquid solvents. By these methods, high viscous polymers may be processed [4]. A composite
film commonly consist of a blend of two or more hydrocolloids aiming to improve their
individual properties and application [7]. This configuration may be used to improve mechanical
and thermal properties, and to overcome some processing limitations. Furthermore, the
incorporation of natural or chemical additives, such as plasticizers, may also contribute to
improve mechanical, thermal, functional, sensorial, and nutritional features of edible films [8,9].
Attention for biopolymeric films is growing however, face challenges some of that include the
following:
1. Mechanical strength
It is challenging natural polymer-based films to achieve for enhanced strength. Thus, blending
natural polymer becoming attractive approach to increase its strength.
2. Scaling up
The compatibility of bioplastics with production procedures like those that blown film extrusion
or cast film extrusion must be considered. In case multilayers are considered, their compatibility
with coextrusion and lamination procedures where they are used in combination with one more
polymer. This process includes heating and drying procedures, which raised a concern for the
compatibility of biopolymers with such operations. Due to the non-compatibility of the
biopolymer-based films with several industrial operations such as blowing, and sealing, failure in
manufacturing continuous films, controlling the thickness, high cost, and long drying period,
their commercialization is still challenging [13]. The suitable processing and operation must be
evaluated and implemented.
3. Water vapor and oxygen barrier
The most used native hydrophilic biopolymer-based films such as pectin, starch, sodium
alginate, gelatin, collagen, chitosan, and many other polysaccharides and proteins have poor
water vapor barrier properties because of their hydrophilic nature [14, 15].
The oxygen and vapor barrier is depend on the structure of hydrogen bonded networks. Thus, the
addition of antioxidants, and hydrophobic substances, changing the architecture (from monolayer
to multiple layers) can improve the barrier property of the films.
Processing Methods
Biopolymers can be processed into varieties of products depending upon the processing route
(cast films, blow molding, coextruded films). The fundamental step of processing of any
biopolymer involves melting the biopolymer mix followed by casting, extrusion, blow molding,
depending upon the material to be made [10, 11, 12].
Method Description
Extrusion At some commercial stage, all of polymers are processed by extrusion.
There are two types of methods, single screw extrusion and twin screw
extrusion.
Single screw extrusion is mostly used because of lower cost, simplicity
in nature than twin screw extruder
Under heat and shear conditions, starch can be transformed into
amorphous form by a process known as destructurising
This is the best method for the biopolymers made up of aliphatic esters
as it is difficult to process them by methods as film-blowing and blow
molding due to their low melting point
Film blowing This is the commercially used method for manufacturing of film from
thermoplastics. Film is extruded through a slit die; air is blown through
the hole at the center of die. The tubular film is cooled, fattened, and
extruded again over an isolated bubble of air. Typical film thicknesses
are 0.007–0.125 mm. Blown film processing requires a high melt
viscosity resin so the melt can be pulled from a die in an upward
direction. The expansion ratio between die and blown tube of film is 1.5
to 4 times the die diameter. The blown film is cooled slowly and has a
composite orientation of the molecular structure, thus increasing the
mechanical properties of the film. Films those are made using these
methods are tough and resilient
Casting In this method film is prepared by drawing molten web of resin from a
 die onto rollers for cooling
The lower mechanical properties of the cast film are due to the single
orientation of the molecular structure and fast cooling of the film
Melting temperature in this method is higher than the film blowing
method and it results better optical properties
Films made from this method are soft and easy to stretch
Proposed Method
The research project approach is to increase the application of natural polymer based materials
for food products packaging by taking consideration of the consumer, the food sector and the
environmental concerns. Using comprehensive analysis of material composition, processing
methods, performance evaluations, and effective active agents, we will develop enhanced
performance food packaging as a sustainable alternative in the food industry, consumer and
raising eco-friendly practices with preserved product quality and safety.
Then the optimum formulation will be developed and evaluated, optimize active agents and
develop packaging materials. The characterization protocol will be developed for the evaluation
of the mechanical and physical properties, and active agent functionality.
Activities
1. Material extracted and characterized
2. Evaluate for packaging development (develop & characterize)
3. Reinforced packaging (review suitable nanoparticles, developed, characterized and
optimize for high performance, study effects on different properties)
4. Active agent incorporation (select antimicrobial and antioxidant active agents,
incorporate using effective methods and test for its action and effects on different
properties)
5. Develop the packaging material and optimize the process condition
6. Pilot testing and characterization
7. Application study on selected food items.
Timeline
Phase 1: Literature review and formulation exploration (6 months)
Phase 2: Material testing and optimization (8 months)
Phase 3: Development of active functionalities and testing protocols (6 months)
Phase 4: Pilot-scale production and industry collaboration (8 months)
Phase 5: Data analysis, documentation, and publication (4 months)
References
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for Food Packaging: Trends over the Last Decade and Future Research. Polymers 2023,
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3. Mkandawire, M.; Aryee, A.N. Resurfacing and Modernization of Edible Packaging
Material Technology. Curr. Opin. Food Sci. 2018, 19, 104–112.
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Packaging: Sustainable Solutions and Novel Trends in Food Packaging. Food Res. Int.
2021, 140, 109981.
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biodegradable flms for food packaging and application of nanotechnology in
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calendering and uniaxial drawing: Efect on structure, mechanical, and thermal properties.
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