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MICROORC contributes for a common understanding of what means “sustainable packaging” in the specific product chains target in the project, says Fátima Poças, Senior Researcher and Prof. at Escola Superior de Biotecnologia of Universidade Católica Portuguesa.

We have asked her to tell us briefly about herself, what makes her think MICROORC is so important, what work is to be done in the work package she leads and what impact she imagines the project will have.

Fátima Poças is in charge of the work package “Packaging for sustainable food systems”, which is MICROORC work package 4 (WP4).

Tell us about yourself

I am a senior researcher and prof.(eq) at Escola Superior de Biotecnologia of Universidade Católica Portuguesa and I have been devoted to study and teach food packaging since the 90’s. I also coordinate the Portuguese National Refence Laboratory for Food Contact Materials which is hosted by UCP and the Centre for Food Quality and Safety (CINATE), a structure dedicated to provide industry with technical services. I have worked in different aspects of food packaging, but my expertise is in chemical composition and safety, migration and barrier properties of traditional and biomaterials. 

How and why did you join the MICROORC adventure?

I have joined the project during the project proposal development, following an invitation from my colleague Paula Teixeira, to help the UCP team on the packaging topics. Later, I was asked by the Project Coordinator Solveig Langsrud to coordinate the WP4. 

Can you explain the work that will be carried out in your Work Package?

The goal is to achieve an optimized packaging system, that maximises the shelf-life of the food products, and has the best environmental profile, in terms of use of minimum amount of material and with high level of recyclability. These is to be achieved through combinations of the packaging system with the biosolutions developed in the other WPs. We have already screened the market and characterised the packages that are being used today for the target products (chicken fillet, meat analogues and smoked salmon), and we have identified the packaging technologies with more potential to be implemented within the scope and timeframe of the project.  The first experiments are running as a base line for the performance to be achieved with the new packaging materials.  

What is your vision on reducing food waste for the next 10 years?

My vision is that a better supply chain integrity so that the overall food waste can be reduced. 

What is your ambitions for MICROORC?

My ambitions are at two levels: the first is that the industrial companies involved really change and implement the packaging solutions studied in the project. The second is a more general and is that MICROORC contributes for a common understanding of what means “sustainable packaging” in the specific product chains target in the project.