The Fine Art of Packaging

This does not mean that the participating researchers spend their time packing things in paper. “Packaging” here means placing a wide range of substances into capsules made of biopolymers such as pectin or vegetable protein and measuring just a few micro or millimeters. “Pectin is a polysaccharide made of plant cells. We can modify pectin using enzymes or bind it with proteins to create special functional properties for the material used in the capsules. These include acid sensitivity, specific barrier properties or even the consistency itself – solid or gel-like – depending on the application,” says Stephan Drusch.

The work being conducted is part of the EU joint project ENCAP4HEALTH initiated by the Chair of Food Technology. “Our aim is to gain a sufficient understanding of the behavior of the individual capsule elements and the processes at their interfaces to enable us to produce a type of assembly kit for producing micro-capsules with very different properties,” says Hanna Kastner. The capsules can then be used, for example, to protect probiotic substances from acidic pH in the stomach as they are guided to the bowel.

The demand for sustainable packaging of this type is not restricted to food technology. It is also being used in areas ranging from aquaculture and pharmacy through to the nutrient industry and biotechnology.

“In general, my team explores the chemical basic structure of food ingredients, how these behave when being processed and the resulting functional properties. We are using the results of this basic research to modify individual substances or to introduce them to specific structures with particular technological and/or physiological properties,” says Stephan Drusch.

“Many consumers are looking to feed themselves healthily and eat more vegetable proteins. Pea and potato proteins are however often not easily soluble and contain flavors. Our focus is on a gentle extraction of these proteins and adaptation of the production processes,” says Martina Klost, one of the project’s research associates.

Every year in Germany, more than 150,000 tons of peas are used for the production of starch. The pea shells are often simply disposed of although valuable ingredients such as pectin or cellulose can be extracted from them. “Both are important dietary fibers whose presence is far too low in our diets,” adds Dr. Rocío Morales who works in the Chair of Food Technology as a postdoctoral researcher. “We are working on optimizing cellulose-rich plant fibers to enable an appropriate increase of their proportions in yogurt, bread or milkshakes, without any loss of flavor or changes in consistence.” Cellulose consists of long fibers and account for the “sandy” feeling in the mouth left by many wholegrain products. These fibers have to be broken up and shortened.

“In addition to the encapsuling of valuable ingredients, my team also focuses on the sustainable use of plant materials, which until recently had been regarded as waste products of food production. By pursuing these two areas, our research links the two major societal challenges of sustainable food production and healthy eating,” concludes Stephan Drusch.