Researchers at Murdoch University in Western Australia have reviewed methods for turning vegetable-processing residues into biodegradable food packaging materials.

The review was conducted by a team from the university’s School of Medical, Molecular and Forensic Sciences (MMFS) and Food Futures Institute.

It assesses the use of peels, stalks, seeds and pomace as sources of compounds for biodegradable films.

Led by Dewduni Premarathne, the study was co-authored by Xiaoyang He, Suwimol Chockchaisawasdee and Costas Stathopoulos.

It considers extraction techniques, including ultrasound-assisted, microwave-assisted and enzyme-assisted methods, for recovering compounds from vegetable by-products.

The review examines how these recovered compounds can improve the strength, barrier properties, antioxidant activity and antimicrobial performance of biodegradable packaging films.

It considers the conversion of food-processing residues into products that could reduce dependence on conventional plastic packaging.

The researchers identify challenges and areas for further study before biodegradable packaging made from vegetable residues can be adopted more widely.

The work also examines the use of agricultural and food-processing residues within circular economy approaches.

The article, 'Valorization of Vegetable Processing Residues for Functional Biodegradable Films in Sustainable Food Packaging', was published in Foods as part of the special issue 'Value-Added Utilization of Agri-Food By-Products for the Manufacture of Biodegradable Food Packaging Films'.

In February, a research group at the University of Maine produced a biodegradable food packaging material combining mycelium from mushrooms and cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) sourced from wood.

That material is designed to provide both water and oil resistance, with the aim of offering an alternative to conventional plastic packaging.