SafePack-Plastic/Flouro Free Food Contact Packaging

CelluComp will use its fully sustainable microfibrilated cellulose from vegetable waste streams - called Curran, to provide the specific barrier properties required for food packaging, without the use of plastic and/or fluorochemicals. Curran will be used as a mix in the paper pulp and as an additive for coatings. Along with outside consultancy, CelluComp has developed a ready-to-use barrier coating for food packaging.

Specifically, CelluComp will utilise its lab, outside consultancy and customer relations to prove the technical and sustainable viability of using Curran in food packaging. CelluComp will make hand sheets of paper for flat sheet applications using different levels of Curran, starches and other components to maximize paper quality suitable for different end applications in food packaging. CelluComp will measure strength, porosity, and the effects the Curran-based sheet will have on grease barrier, water vapour barrier and oxygen barrier. Once the most optimized sheets are produced, CelluComp will add coatings to this paper and commercial food contact papers and retest for the same properties.

CelluComp will also test Curran in paper products produced by moulded fibre production. As with the flat sheets, measurements for strength, porosity, cost and barrier will be considered. Curran-based coatings will also be tested on these moulded paper products. These tests will also be verified with potential end customers and at a larger scale.

At the end of the project, CelluComp will be able to gather important information on the best direction to focus its efforts in the food-packaging industry. It will aim to complete 1 piece of work leading to a concrete new packaging solution with a customer that will launch in the short term and produce immediate impact.

Finally, testing of biodegradation, LCA analysis and migration studies will take place to ensure the safety of the new packaging for food and register the impact on sustainability.