Most food products and element accessories are produced from pure raw materials, but in their production and commercialization, large percentages of residues are accumulated. This residues are full of molecules of high value. In AIMat, we are involved in processes of wastes valorization from diverse origin, fish and seafood, meat, vegetable and microbial wastes. Making use of Green chemical procedures, biopolymers (proteins, polysaccharides and complex polymers), and bioactive molecules (substances with antioxidant, antimicrobial, antitumor, …capacity). These molecules are later used to improve food products, either in nutrition or in stability.
Most food packages are made entirely or partially of plastics, most of them non-sustainable and non-biodegradable petrochemical materials, with a relevant environmental impact if they are not properly processed after use. Recycling allows these materials to be given a second life and added value. At AIMat, we dedicate efforts to the study and characterization of post-consumer plastics and their potential applications.