Lucía Famá’s research while affiliated with University of Buenos Aires and other places

Growing environmental concern and consumer demand for safe food led to the innovation of biodegradable and active packaging materials. In this work, a biodegradable and active bilayer nanocomposite (TPS‐Y/NP) from two cassava starch‐based film layers was developed by casting for possible use as packaging that can extend food shelf life. One layer was composed of a starch‐yerba mate extract film (TPS‐Y) and the other of a starch‐titanium dioxide nanoparticles nanocomposite (TPS‐NP). The use of the same starch matrix (TPS) in both films achieved a material with excellent interlayer compatibility. The bilayer presented activity against different pathogens and improvements in mechanical resistance and water vapor permeability due to the contribution of the nanocomposite layer, and it showed antioxidant activity and greater deformation due to the layer with the natural extract. In addition, all films degraded in vegetable compost almost completely in two weeks. This bilayer film could be promisingly employed as a biodegradable and functional packaging to improve the useful life of food by conferring antioxidant and antibacterial activity. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

This work aimed to evaluate the properties of butylene adipate-co-terephthalate (PBAT) degraded after 1800 days of storage (DPBAT) by preparing blends (films) with crosslinked starch (Cm) through extrusion and thermocompression. Different ratios of DPBAT:Cm (70:30, 60:40, and 50:50 m/m) were prepared. The incorporation of Cm into DPBAT significantly changed the properties of the films by making them stiffer (increasing Young’s modulus by up to 50%) and increasing the thermal resistance of DPBAT. The presence of crosslinked starch in the films made them less hydrophobic (with decreased contact angle and increased moisture content), but these parameters did not vary linearly with changes in the content of crosslinked starch in the blend (DPBAT:Cm). The microscopic images show an inhomogeneous distribution of Cm granules in the DPBAT matrix. Thus, the films prepared with PBAT show a significant decrease in their mechanical parameters and heat resistance after long-term storage. However, the preparation of blends of degraded DPBAT with crosslinked starch promoted changes in the properties of the films prepared by thermocompression, which could be useful for disposable packaging.

Fast‐growing environmental concern has made nanotechnology surge as an enhancer of eco‐friendly materials. In this research, biodegradable and active nanocomposites are developed from thermoplastic starch films with the incorporation of different concentrations of zinc oxide nanoparticles eco‐friendly synthesized with starch (ZnONP) (0, 0.5, 1, 2, and 5 wt.%) by flat‐die extrusion. ZnONP at 2 and 5 wt.% enhances Young's modulus ( E ), strain at break ( ε b ), and tensile toughness (T), and decreases the water solubility (WS) and moisture content (MC), also inhibiting the growth of Escherichia coli . Additionally, with 5 wt.% of nanofiller, a hydrophobic material with UV‐A and UV‐B shielding is also achieved. Furthermore, all films are fully biodegraded in vegetal compost at around 4 weeks. The results show that ZnONP can be a very promising alternative as a reinforcing and active agent for preparing new starch‐based nanocomposites for the food packaging and coating industry.

The efficiency in the capabilities to store and release antioxidants depends on the film morphology and its manufacturing process, as well as on the type and methodology used to obtain the polyphenol extracts. Here, hydroalcoholic extracts of black tea polyphenols (BT) were obtained and dropped onto different polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) aqueous solutions (water or BT aqueous extract with and without citric acid, CA) to obtain three unusual PVA electrospun mats containing polyphenol nanoparticles within their nanofibers. It was shown that the mat obtained through the nanoparticles precipitated in BT aqueous extract PVA solution presented the highest total polyphenol content and antioxidant activity, and that the addition of CA as an esterifier or PVA crosslinker interfered with the polyphenols. The release kinetics in different food simulants (hydrophilic, lipophilic and acidic) were fitted using Fick’s diffusion law and Peppas’ and Weibull’s models, showing that polymer chain relaxation is the main mechanism in all food simulants except for the acidic, which presented an abrupt release by Fick’s diffusion mechanism of about 60% before being controlled. This research provides a strategy for the development of promising controlled-release materials for active food packaging, mainly for hydrophilic and acidic food products.

Biodegradable polymers have been strongly recognized as an alternative to replace traditional petrochemical plastics, which have become a global problem due to their long persistence in the environment. In this work, the effect of the addition of titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2NP) on the morphology, physicochemical properties and biodegradation under industrial composting conditions of cassava starch-based nanocomposites obtained by extrusion at different screw speeds (80 and 120 rpm) were investigated. Films performed at 120 rpm (S120 and S120-TiO2NP) showed completely processed starch and homogeneously distributed nanoparticles, leading to much more flexible nanocomposites than those obtained at 80 rpm. The incorporation of TiO2NP led to an increase in storage modulus of all films and, in the case of S120-TiO2NP, to higher strain at break values. From the Kohlrausch–Williams–Watts theoretical model (KWW), an increase in the relaxation time of the nanocomposites was observed due to a decrease in the number of polymer chains involved in the relaxation process. Additionally, S120-TiO2NP showed effective protection against UV light, greater hydrophobicity and faster biodegradation in compost, resulting in a promising material for food packaging applications.

Obtaining edible and biodegradable films for food packaging applications has been a strong desire of consumers, scientific community and industry for years. In this context, edible films from cassava starch with wheat or oat bran (0, 5 and 10 wt.%) manufactured from an industrially established process for packaging, such as the extrusion technique, were investigated. Wheat bran was found to have a high content of total dietary fiber, being able to provide a nutritional contribution to the packaging and to consumers. Some broken bran grains smaller than 1 μm were observed, distributed quite homogeneously in the matrix and without the presence of phase separation, suggesting great miscibility between the components. Brans acted as reinforcement in concentrations of 10 wt.%, leading in the case of wheat bran to increases of 850%, 45% and 25% in Young modulus, strength at break and toughness, respectively, and to decreases in moisture content. The incorporation of bran did not significant change the thermal stability and biodegradation of the films. This investigation showed that biodegradable and edible cassava starch‐based films can be manufactured by a scalable process with possible improvements in nutrition and mechanical strength using 10 wt.% of bran for its potential employ as food packaging. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Nowadays, the food market’s tendency shows the consumers’ preference towards tasty, healthy and visually provocative food products and able to enhance sensorial perception. The addition of aromas and flavours is a usual practice in the food industry in order to intensify their sensorial characteristics. In addition, the healthy food needed promotes the inclusion of nutritional supplements in different foods. However, some nutraceuticals have bad flavour and odour, being a significant problem for consumption. A common issue of aromas and flavours is the loss of many of their properties after processing. Enca https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/stabilizepsulation is a tested solution not only for enhancing but also for masking them. In this chapter, the importance of encapsulating aromas and flavour to resist their processing and the release of flavours in the mouth will be discussed. Different encapsulation techniques commonly practiced in micro and nano scale, such as spray drying and electrohydrodynamic methodologies will be exposed, remarking the advantages of electrospinning and electrospray techniques regarding the cold encapsulation of volatile compounds. Additionally, the cyclodextrins usage par excellence as an encapsulating matrix and its benefits (even when encapsulation requires strong mechanical processing such as extrusion) will be discussed. Finally, the market trends in the use of encapsulation of aromas and flavours will be overviewed. Clearly, encapsulation at micro and nano scale brought a wide range of improvements to the food field, but there is still much more to be discovered. Therefore, this chapter attempts to enrich the knowledge of this subject from the most recent advances found in the literature.