Biobased coating for food protection

UANL's research team developed a natural coating that replaces petroleum-based compounds used to protect food and medical products.

After several years of research, experts from the UANL School of Chemical Sciences developed thin bioplastic films made from agro-industrial waste peels, which can be used in the food and hospital industries.

The project, led by Jose Ruben Morones Ramirez and his team, uses banana, potato, and orange peels to produce a material designed to reduce environmental impact.

Based on this, we carried out porosity and water-diffusion tests and concluded that bioplastic films can be produced to coat surfaces and prevent contamination in various settings.
José Rubén Morones Ramírez
Researcher

Supporting the circular economy

This material can be used in food packaging or as a coating in food-processing areas, helping products stay shelf-stable for longer periods.

“In addition, producing this material supports a circular economy by reusing valuable resources such as fruit and vegetable peels as raw material. The optimization process for this product takes about one week and involves grinding, purification, and extraction,” he explained.

The project is part of a doctoral thesis developed in collaboration with student Diana Castillo, for which they received the 2025 UANL Research Prize.

Morones Ramírez noted that the product derived from microbial exopolysaccharides results in lower contamination and could be more effective than conventional coating products.

“Who would have thought that fruit and vegetable peels held such a valuable resource? Take oranges, for example, which are grown in Nuevo León’s citrus-producing region and are an important product for the state,” he said.