Nanomaterials for Food Packaging

Miguel Cerqueira holds a PhD degree in Biological Engineering from the University of Minho (UMinho). His PhD thesis was awarded for the best PhD Thesis by the School of Engineering of UMinho which was focused on edible coating and films for dairy products. In 2011, he started as a Postdoctoral Researcher aiming the development and characterization of bio-based nanostructures for food applications where he gained expertise on biodegradable films and coatings for food packaging, encapsulation of functional compounds using emergent encapsulation technologies, and on the development and characterisation of emulgels and oleogels for functional foods. Since 2011 he has been working as invited professor in the UMinho. In 2016, he joined the International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory to work in the Food Processing and Nutrition group. Jose Maria Lagaron is currently Senior Research Scientist and Project-Leader at the Packaging Lab. of the Institute of Agrochemistry and Food Technology (IATA) of the Superior Spanish Council for Scientific Research (CSIC), and Lecturer of Materials Science at the Department of Technology, Polymers Group of the Area of Materials of the University Jaume I in Castellón, Spain Lorenzo Pastrana has a PhD in Pharmacy and is full Professor of Food Science at the University of Vigo, Spain. He has 25 years’ experience in research and teaching in the areas of Food Processing, Biotechnology and Bionanotechnology. He is currently the head of the Department of Life Sciences at INL. He is author of more than 120 scientific papers and PI of more than 30 National and European research projects. He is the author of seven patents (four of which are licensed), related to the development of new food products and process as well. António Augusto Martins de Oliveira Soares Vicente is an Associate Professor at the Centre of Biological Engineering, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal. His research focuses on developing functionalized nanostructured delivery systems for food applications.

1. Nanotechnology in food packaging: opportunities and challenges
2. Inorganic-based nanostructures and their use in food packaging (clays, silica, Ag)
3. Cellulose-based nanostructures and their use in food packaging (nanocrystal, nanowhiskers, nanofibers)
4. Bio-based nanocomposites (starch nanocrystal, chitosan nanoparticles, proteins, polysaccharides, PHB, PLA)
5. Structure–property relationships in polymer nanocomposites for food packaging
6. Production and processing of nanocomposites (melting extrusion, film-bowing, new challenges)
7. Nanostructured multilayer films (Layer-by-layer, electrospinning)
8. Active and smart packaging (antimicrobial nanocomposites, loaded nanostructures, scavenging, examples)
9. Intelligent packaging (sensors, detection of molecules, examples)
10. Potential migration of nanocomposites for foods (used testes, examples, challenges)
11. Safety and regulatory issues (health, environmental aspects)
12. Commercial applications (products in the market, patents)