Page 33 - Plastics News January 2017

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INDIA 2017

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researchers plan to keep making improvements, and cereal flakes or bars. Right now, cereals keep their crunch
Bonnaillie predicts this casein packaging will be on store in milk due to a sugar coating. Instead of all that sugar,
shelves within three years. manufacturers could spray on casein-protein coatings.
The spray also could line pizza or other food boxes to
The USDA researchers have been working on the keep grease from staining the packaging, or to serve as
casein plastic packaging for more than 10 years. Some a lamination step for paper or cardboard food boxes or
commercially available edible packaging varieties are plastic pouches.
already on the market, but these are made of starch,
which is more porous and allows oxygen to seep through.
The milk-based packaging, however, has smaller pores
and can keep oxygen out. Although the researchers’
first attempt using pure casein resulted in a strong and
effective oxygen blocker, it was relatively hard to handle
and dissolved in water too quickly. They made some
improvements by incorporating citrus pectin into the blend
to make the packaging even stronger and more resistant
to humidity and high temperatures.

In addition to being used as plastic pouches and wraps,
this casein coating could be sprayed onto food, such as

33 • January 2017 • Plastics News