Development of biodegradable packaging ensuring quality and safety of infant food powders distributed in Madagascar
Résumé
As part of the fight against malnutrition in Madagascar, the social enterprise Nutri'zaza, founded by the NGO GRET, distributes fortified infant formula in around 7 million single-dose multi-layer sachets every year. Because of lacking waste treatment infrastructure, these packaging is unfortunately often leaking to the environment. The objective of this work is to minimize its environmental impact by exploring alternatives to plastic packaging, with the aim of reducing environmental pollution.
The concept behind the study is to replace the petrochemical, non-recyclable multi-layer packaging currently with a biodegradable packaging in composting conditions adapted to the Madagascan context. For that, the constraints of the distribution of the infant food were analyzed with the help of a field survey. In parallel, environmental conditions experienced by the product during the distribution were monitored. The nutritional and microbiological quality of the product was monitored in representative conditions with and without packaging. Four types of biodegradable packaging were used. As a control, the shelf-life of the product without packaging was evaluated. Nutritional quality was measured using the quantity of tocopherol as a tracer and microbial quality by analyzing the CFU count of total mesophilic flora. The results showed that the product could be stored without packaging. The biodegradable packaging tested provided effective protection for the duration of the experiment (24 days), with the exception of paper, which proved ineffective.
Of the four biodegradable packages tested, one stood out and showed promising results, but a longer-term study needs to be undertaken to validate the results in a longer time frame. The objective will be to develop a shelf-life model, which takes into account the specificities of tropical environment and typical supply chains in African countries such as Madagascar.
Domaines
Ingénierie des aliments
Origine : Fichiers produits par l'(les) auteur(s)