THE CHALLENGE
A major business challenge in the food packaging industry lies in developing cost-effective, scalable antimicrobial solutions that meet both regulatory standards and consumer expectations for safety and sustainability. While existing technologies like synthetic preservatives, UV-activated coatings, and metal nanoparticles offer short-term microbial control, they come with significant drawbacks—ranging from toxic residue concerns and regulatory hurdles to energy inefficiency and poor compatibility with modern biodegradable or transparent packaging materials. Many of these solutions also fail under typical indoor lighting or degrade over time, leading to inconsistent performance across supply chains.
OUR SOLUTION
Our solution is a next-generation antimicrobial packaging film that harnesses safe, visible indoor light to continuously destroy bacteria. By embedding dye-linked mesoporous particles into common or biodegradable plastics like polyethylene or polylactide, the film generates reactive oxygen species that actively kill microbes on contact. A built-in recycling mechanism using natural reductants ensures long-term effectiveness without degrading the film or releasing harmful residues. This technology works under typical indoor lighting, is compatible with standard manufacturing methods like extrusion and thermoforming, and integrates seamlessly into existing packaging lines. It offers a scalable, cost-efficient, and sustainable path to smarter packaging—extending shelf life, enhancing food safety, and meeting growing consumer and regulatory demand for clean-label, eco-friendly solutions.
Figure: An example of the dye-sensitized solar panel film
Advantages:
- Visible-light activation under indoor lighting
- Broad-spectrum, resistance-resilient antimicrobial action
- GRAS-compliant, non-toxic, and biodegradable components
- Seamless integration into standard thermoplastic manufacturing
Potential Application:
- Antimicrobial food packaging films
- Fresh produce storage trays
- Self-cleaning deli containers
- Medical device packaging films
