Researchers think red for can liners

A team of European researchers have turned to one of the world's most popular food produce items – the tomato – to produce bio-based lacquers for the tinned food industry.

The newly formed BIOCOPAC research organisation, led by Italy's Stazione Sperimentale per l'Industria delle Conserve Alimentari (SSICA), is investigating the use of tomato waste to produce bio-based thermosetting lacquers for the metal packaging sector.

Funded by the European Union (EU), the BIOCOPAC consortium comprises four research centres, four small to medium-sized enterprises and three large enterprises from the Czech Republic, France, Italy, Greece, Liechtenstein and Spain.

The team will work on innovative packaging to improve metal can quality and decrease use of plastic containers, whilst also enabling small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to be competitive in the metal packaging sector.

BIOCOPAC's research concept is based on an old patent developed by SSICA in the 1940s.

The team started by analysing and characterising tomato wastes and is now working on developing an extraction method and optimising the bio-resin.

The partners are using environmentally friendly techniques to extract the bio-resin – called cutin, which is a wax-like water-repellent material found in the walls of various plant cells – from tomato peel.

The final lacquer will be similar to those used traditionally in food canning operations. BIOCOPAC said it would conduct stringent tests to ascertain the suitability of the product for food tins and packaging.

“In this way, at the end of the project, it will be possible to have a complete indication as to the use of the new lacquers in contact with food products and of their economic and environmental benefits,” Dr Paolo Brenni of BIOCOPAC partner Salchi Metal Srl, said.

He said the project also had the potential to fuel research into other bio-based products, which in turn could deliver effective tools and affordable alternatives for other markets.