• Disclosure
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
  • CCPA
  • Medical Disclaimer
Friday, January 27, 2023
Cameron County News Online
  • Home
  • News
  • Business
  • Technology
    • Crytpocurrency
    • Gaming
    • Gadgets
  • Sports
  • Health
  • General
    • Business Services
  • Travel
  • Press Releases
  • Popular
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Business
  • Technology
    • Crytpocurrency
    • Gaming
    • Gadgets
  • Sports
  • Health
  • General
    • Business Services
  • Travel
  • Press Releases
  • Popular
No Result
View All Result
No Result
View All Result
Home Technology Gaming

Smart” Packaging Preserves Food And Enhances Safety | News | Harvard TH Chan School Of Public Health – HSPH News

by NewsReporter
April 12, 2022
in Gaming
Reading Time: 3 mins read
smart”-packaging-preserves-food-and-enhances-safety-|-news-|-harvard-th-chan-school-of-public-health-–-hsph-news
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

April 12, 2022—Keeping healthy foods fresh and unspoiled often comes with an environmental cost in the form of plastic waste. But it doesn’t have to be this way, according to researchers from the Center for Nanotechnology and Nanotoxicology at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and colleagues at Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University. They’ve developed an alternative “smart” packaging material using biodegradable corn protein, starch, and other naturally derived biopolymers and nature inspired antimicrobials. It keeps harmful bacteria and spoilage microorganisms off of food and plastic pollution out of the environment.

The packaging is made primarily from a type of corn protein called zein—which is produced from corn gluten meal, a waste by-product of ethanol production—and other bio-polymers that can be extracted from food waste. It contains a mesh of nanoscale fibers, which were produced through a scalable technology called electrospinning and infused with a combination of natural antimicrobial compounds including thyme oil and citric acid. The fibers were programmed to sense the presence of enzymes from bacteria such as E. Coli and Listeria and increased levels of relative humidity on their surface. In response to these conditions they release miniscule amounts of the antimicrobials to enhance food safety and shelf life.

A researcher holds strawberries in Director of NTU’s Centre of Antimicrobial Bioengineering Professor Mary Chan holds strawberries in the new “smart” packaging.

In an experiment, strawberries that were wrapped in the packaging stayed fresh for seven days before developing mold, compared to strawberries that were kept in typical plastic fruit boxes, which only stayed fresh for four days. And because this protection is provided only when needed, the taste and composition of food in the packages is preserved. The results of the study were published in the journal ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces last October.

There is an urgent need to improve food packaging, according to the study’s co-leader Philip Demokritou, adjunct professor of environmental health at Harvard Chan School and director of the Nanotechnology and Nanotoxicology Center. Minimizing spoilage and waste will help provide the world’s growing population—expected to reach nearly 10 billion by 2050—with safe and nutritious food. And plastic is not a benign environmental nuisance. It degrades over the course of its lifecycle, and releases tiny fragments into the environment that end up in our air, water, and food, raising concerns for health.

“We need more research in sustainable, biodegradable smart food packaging like this so that manufacturers can start making these materials in a scalable way,” said Demokritou. “There are a lot of companies focusing on developing sustainable technologies and materials. And I’m very optimistic that we will see an escalation of their use in many products in the near future.”

The development of this novel packaging material is a result of a collaboration by scientists from the NTU-Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health Initiative for Sustainable Nanotechnology (NTU-Harvard SusNano). The five-year Initiative, which brought together more than 30 faculty from Harvard and NTU, funded five research projects focused on assessing the health effects from nano and other advanced materials and developed technologies to address inefficiencies in agriculture and food systems. Demokritou, who was the founding co-director of the initiative, joined the Rutgers School of Public Health and Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute in 2021, where he is Henry Rutgers Chair and Professor in Nanoscience and Environmental Bioengineering.

The patented technology and material used in the smart packaging attracted the interest of industry, and efforts are underway for a potential commercial use, Demokritou said.

In another recent project, researchers at the Harvard Chan School NanoCenter and the Harvard School of Engineering developed a patented technology to synthesize a form of antimicrobial packaging that can be washed off of foods.

Researchers at the School’s NanoCenter are also exploring other ways to enhance food safety and quality, including a nanotechnology-based antimicrobial platform using their engineered water nanostructure technology.

—Amy Roeder

Photos: Philip Demokritou, NTU Singapore

Related Posts

russia-ukraine-war-news:-live-updates-on-moskva-warship-–-the-new-york-times

Russia-Ukraine War News: Live Updates On Moskva Warship – The New York Times

by NewsReporter
April 14, 2022
0

European officials are drafting the most contested measure yet to punish Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine, an embargo on Russian oil products — a move long resisted because of its enormous costs for Germany and its potential to disrupt politics around the region and increase energy prices.The growing consensus...

at-deals:-razer-huntsman-elite-gaming-keyboard-now-just-$120-–-anandtech

AT Deals: Razer Huntsman Elite Gaming Keyboard Now Just $120 – AnandTech

by NewsReporter
April 14, 2022
0

Razer’s Huntsman Elite gaming keyboard has been marked down to one of its lowest prices to date. This full-sized gaming keyboard has a going rate of $160 but right now it’s available for just $120 at Amazon. This discount saves users around $40, providing a selection of features which, according...

poland’s-cd-projekt-postpones-witcher-3-next-generation-release-indefinitely-–-us.-news-&-world-report

Poland’s CD Projekt Postpones Witcher 3 Next-Generation Release Indefinitely – U.S. News & World Report

by NewsReporter
April 14, 2022
0

(Reuters) - Polish video game maker CD Projekt has taken back in-house and postponed indefinitely the release of its blockbuster game "The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt" for next-generation consoles.The version, which was originally scheduled to launch late last year and was then delayed to second quarter of 2022, was outsourced...

tencent-to-block-chinese-gamers’-access-to-foreign,-unapproved-games-–-yahoo-news

Tencent To Block Chinese Gamers’ Access To Foreign, Unapproved Games – Yahoo News

by NewsReporter
April 14, 2022
0

By Josh YeHONG KONG (Reuters) - Tencent Holdings Ltd said it will shut down a service that allowed Chinese gamers to access overseas platforms to play unapproved foreign games, in a sign of tightening compliance as Chinese regulators more closely scrutinize the industry.The country's largest social and gaming firm said...

Cameron County News Online

© 2021 Salt Lake City News Now

Navigate Site

  • Disclosure
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
  • CCPA
  • Medical Disclaimer

Follow Us

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • DMCA Policy
  • Medical Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclosure
  • CCPA
  • Terms of Use

© 2021 Salt Lake City News Now

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
Cookie SettingsAccept All
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT