Food preservation and the effort to reduce the environmental impact of packaging materials have positioned food packaging at the forefront of scientific and technological research. An example of this is the Bio4Pak project, which involves researchers from Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa. This project focuses on developing bio-based, biodegradable packaging inspired by natural systems for applications in the food industry.
“The main focus of food preservation is not on the material that surrounds the food, but on other downstream factors, such as the handling of animal carcasses or low-temperature storage”, explains Nuno Mira, a professor at Técnico, researcher at the Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences (iBB), and principal investigator of the project. “The current plastic packaging primarily functions as an insulating material. The goal of our research is to create a material that also acts as a “sentinel” and can respond proactively when necessary”. Ana Azevedo and Jorge Leitão, both professors at Técnico and researchers at iBB, are also involved in this project.
Funded by the EIC Pathfinder programme and coordinated by the University of Lodz (Poland), the project aims to develop smart packaging solutions that maintain the functionalities of conventional plastics while ensuring biodegradability and sustainability throughout their life cycle. The solutions under study are based on bio-based polymers and design strategies intended to integrate them into existing waste management systems.
Among Bio4Pak’s lines of research is the use of bacteriophages as antimicrobial agents in food packaging. The project explores the innovative PhagTec delivery system, which releases phages upon detecting certain pathogens, “aiming to reduce bacterial contamination and extend food preservation”. This approach is particularly relevant in poultry consumption, where microorganisms such as Salmonella, Campylobacter, and Listeria “pose challenges to food safety and contribute to food waste.”
“The development of more environmentally friendly materials, produced through sustainable methods and capable of being recycled effectively, opens up a crucial pathway toward circularity for this industry”, emphasises Nuno Mira, pointing to the possibility of future expansion to other products and materials with similar characteristics. The solutions under development seek to combine technical performance, food safety, and environmental sustainability, including the possibility of total composting of materials.
Bio4Pak is connected to well-established lines of research at iBB, focusing on linking fundamental knowledge in biological sciences with practical applications. “We have been working for a long time to ensure that knowledge in biological sciences and molecular microbiology finds applications in everyday life and can be used to design smart solutions that respond to real-world problems”, says the researcher, referring to the project as an example of this approach.
Bio4Pak partners include the University of Gdańsk, Wrocław University of Science and Technology, the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) (Spain), TalTech – Tallinn University of Technology (Estonia), and Hasselt University (Belgium). The consortium brings together experts in agriculture, industry, life cycle assessment, regulatory framework, and phage technology in collaborative scientific effort at the European level.
