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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania » Eastern Regional Research Center » Dairy and Functional Foods Research » Research » Research Project #428124

Research Project: Development of Edible Film and Active Packaging Materials for Food Coating and Packaging

Location: Dairy and Functional Foods Research

Project Number: 8072-41000-102-005-S
Project Type: Non-Assistance Cooperative Agreement

Start Date: Mar 1, 2015
End Date: Sep 29, 2019

Objective:
The objectives of this collaboration are: (1) develop functional polymeric and edible materials from food ingredients, food wastes and byproducts of food processing. The materials, in the form of packaging films or coatings, or edible films or coatings, are designed to promote food quality, safety and nutrition, and (2) to evaluate the effects of polyphenols from various sources on gene expression of gut microbiota. 2017 Additional funds: Rutgers University will be able to continue to assign two Ph.D. students to come to the Dairy and Functional Foods Research Unit at the Eastern Regional Research Center, 5 days a week, to continue research on (1) creating an edible electrospun nanofibrous mat from milk protein caseinates which can be used by the food industry, and (2) analyzing the temporal changes in the growth and gene expression of gut microbiota in response to the presence of polyphenols.

Approach:
Active compounds such as solid antimicrobials, antioxidants, or volatile bioactives, will be incorporated into traditional and innovative biopolymers or the hybrids of synthetics/biopolymers or edible materials in ways which allow those compounds to release from the polymer matrices in a controlled manner for applications that promote food quality and safety, and enhance health and well-being.