Packaging of the Future project highlighted at the Materials 2025 Congress
Between July 1st and 3rd, the University of Minho was present at the Materials 2025 Congress, one of the main national scientific events in the field of Materials Science and Engineering, which took place in Lisbon, at the Instituto Superior Técnico. Participation took the form of the presentation of three scientific posters, where the latest advances in the Packaging of the Future® project were shared, focusing on the activities of PPS02 and PPS12.
Significant results were achieved under PPS02, dedicated to the development of reusable lunch boxes with scanning capabilities:
- Evaluation of the stability of two food-grade materials (homopolymer and polypropylene copolymer) after 100 washing cycles;
- Carrying out migration tests, guaranteeing the safety of materials in contact with food.
In PPS12, which focuses on the development of packaging for the cosmetics sector, the project came up with innovative solutions to prolong the release of fragrances:
- Encapsulation of natural fragrances in biodegradable polymeric matrices, ensuring greater protection and controlled release;
- Evaluation of fragrance retention and release performance under real conditions of use;
- Improving the thermal stability of essential oils by incorporating them into oil-in-water emulsion systems absorbed by hydrogel matrices, resulting in an increase in degradation temperature and aroma protection.
The presence of the Packaging of the Future project at the Materials 2025 Congress reinforces the commitment of UMinho and the partners involved to innovation and sustainable development in the area of packaging.
