Abstract
Project Overview NOVAPACK is a research project at the intersection of materials science, food technology, and industrial bioengineering. Its central ambition is to design and produce a new generation of bio-based, biodegradable packaging materials that are not merely less harmful than conventional plastics, but actively beneficial — capable of extending the shelf life of food products and reducing contamination risks in biomedical contexts. The project draws on a circular logic: agricultural wastes and by-products are transformed through lactic acid fermentation into natural antimicrobial and antioxidant extracts, which are then incorporated into sustainable polymer films — closing the loop between food production, waste valorisation, and advanced packaging. NOVAPACK’s methodology is organised around three interconnected pillars: extract recovery, film production and functionalisation, and process engineering. NOVAPACK directly addresses the need for alternatives to single-use petroleum-based plastics, aligning with European priorities around the circular economy and the transition to bio-based industrial systems, while demonstrating that sustainable packaging need not sacrifice performance. Objectives and Goals The primary objective of NOVAPACK is to provide proof of concept for a new class of active packaging films in which antimicrobial and antioxidant properties derive entirely from natural additives recovered from agri-food waste streams — specifically, extracts obtained from the lactic acid fermentation of tomato peels, melon residues, and legumes by-products. Beyond demonstrating technical feasibility at laboratory scale, the project pursues several interconnected goals: • Waste valorisation: converting low-value agricultural residues into high-value functional ingredients, reducing waste and generating economic value within the food supply chain. • Sustainable polymer development: selecting and optimising bio-based, biodegradable polymer matrices — polyhydroxybutyrate-co-hydroxyhexanoate (PHBH) and polylactic acid (PLA) — that offer both processing versatility and compostability at end of life. • Multi-application scope: designing packaging solutions suitable for food preservation and biomedical disposables, two sectors where safety, hygiene, and material performance are critical. • Industrial scalability: moving beyond bench-scale prototyping to design a continuous manufacturing process for functionalised films, bridging the gap between academic research and real-world production. Extract recovery begins with the fermentation of selected agricultural by-products. Tomato peels, melon residues, and legume by-products were processed using optimised lactic acid fermentation protocols, and the resulting products were processed to obtain concentrated extracts rich in bioactive compounds. Significant effort was devoted to standardising these recovery protocols to ensure reproducibility and scalability. Film production and functionalisation relies on two bio-based polymers, PLA and PHBH, shaped by casting or blown film extrusion. Functional additives were incorporated through melt compounding — blending extracts directly into the polymer melt — and by layer-by-layer (LbL) deposition, in which thin functional coatings are applied sequentially to the film surface. Each material underwent characterisation of its morphology, thermal behaviour, mechanical strength, biodegradability under composting conditions, resistance to UV-induced degradation, and antimicrobial and antioxidant performance assessed through in vitro assays and in situ trials on real food substrates. Process engineering constitutes the project’s most industrially oriented strand. Building on the functionalisation results, the team designed a full continuous production line for LbL-coated packaging films, encompassing plasma surface pre-treatment, automated film handling, process control, and a human-machine interface. A discrete-event simulation model was also developed to optimise production layouts and assess the impact of different manufacturing configurations on throughput and efficiency. Planned Outcomes NOVAPACK was designed to generate outcomes across scientific, technological, and industrial dimensions. Scientifically, the project aimed to demonstrate that fermentation-derived extracts can act as effective functional additives without compromising the biodegradability of the host polymer. Technologically, the goal was to establish reproducible processing protocols — for both extract production and film functionalisation — robust enough to serve as the foundation for industrial scale-up, with LbL deposition identified as a key enabling technique. On the industrial side, the project targeted the delivery of a fully operational pilot demonstrator representing a complete, small-scale version of the envisaged production line, providing a tangible reference for packaging and agri-food stakeholders interested in assessing the technology for future adoption.
Results achieved
NOVAPACK successfully validated its core hypothesis: bio-based, biodegradable packaging films incorporating natural antimicrobial extracts from agri-food by-products are technically feasible and perform robustly against relevant microbial and environmental challenges. Polymer matrices and biodegradability: Both PLA and PHBH were confirmed as suitable matrices. Standardised composting tests showed that PLA-based films achieved complete disintegration within approximately 50 days under industrial composting conditions. PHBH-based systems degraded more slowly but still demonstrated significant composting potential. Importantly, the incorporation of tomato-derived extracts into PHBH films did not hinder compostability; it appeared to stimulate early microbial activity, accelerating the initial stages of biodegradation. Antimicrobial performance: Functionalised films demonstrated strong inhibitory activity against key food-safety pathogens — including multiple strains of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus — in standardised in vitro assays. These results were corroborated by in situ trials on contaminated meat products stored under refrigerated conditions, where the active films produced a marked reduction in microbial populations, confirming the practical relevance of the approach for food packaging. Structural integrity and UV resistance: Accelerated ageing experiments confirmed that both untreated and functionalised films maintained excellent resistance to photo-oxidative degradation during prolonged UV exposure. The addition of natural extracts did not adversely affect mechanical or structural properties, showing that functional enhancement can be achieved without compromising material quality. Pilot demonstrator: NOVAPACK delivered the complete engineering design of an industrial production line together with a fully operational pilot demonstrator for continuous LbL functionalisation. The demonstrator includes plasma surface pre-treatment, automated film handling, and a dedicated human-machine interface. A validated discrete-event simulation model enables future users to explore different production layouts and optimise configurations for specific throughput or efficiency targets. Scientific dissemination: Results were presented at international conferences, contributed to peer-reviewed publications, and shared with researchers and industry through a dedicated workshop and communication activities, facilitating knowledge transfer toward the packaging and agri-food sectors. Funding This project has received funding from the European Union — NextGenerationEU, under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), Mission 4, Component 2, Investment 1.1 "Fund for the National Research Programme and Projects of Significant National Interest (PRIN)" — PRIN 2022 PNRR Call by the Italian Ministry of University and Research (MUR) (Directorial Decree No. 1409 of 14 September 2022). For more information, please visit the project website: https://novapack.polito.itDettagli del progetto
Responsabile scientifico: Maurizio Toselli
Strutture Unibo coinvolte:
Dipartimento di Chimica Industriale "Toso Montanari"
Coordinatore:
Politecnico di TORINO(Italy)
Contributo totale Unibo: Euro (EUR) 36.805,00
Durata del progetto in mesi: 24
Data di inizio
30/11/2023
Data di fine:
29/11/2025
