Many thick in texture liquid and semisolid food products tend to cling to the inner walls of their containers and remains inside the pack. This means that a large amount of the products is wasted when the containers are discarded. This is a major global problem, as it not only contributes to food waste, but also makes the packaging material more difficult to recycle. To address this issue, an extremely thin edible lipid coating (layer) can be applied on the inner surface of the packaging material to make it non-sticking, and allow product to slide. However, products often contain (plant-based, dairy) surface-active molecules (e.g. proteins) that counteract the advantages of such a coating, often destroying it. This is a major issue in improving sustainability packaged food products and in the development of healthy plant-based alternatives. To reduce food waste and environmental impact, and to use food ingredients and packaging materials more efficiently, we urgently need a pack independent technology that controls how products interact with packs and leaves minimal leftovers.
In this project, we will develop and optimise edible lipid-based coating technology to control product-pack interactions. The technology can be used for various types of packaging (e.g. plastic squeeze bottles, jars, paper-based packs), prepared inside or delivered to factory, and will be applied right before the product is filled in the pack. To gain optimal evacuation, we will quantify and control the phenomena of wetting, spreading, adhesion, and friction between product and pack, optimizing the flow and evacuation from the pack. This will be accomplished by a multidisciplinary team of soft matter experts with expertise in interfacial, thin film, and bulk phenomena (University of Amsterdam), advanced measurement techniques (Anton Paar), ingredients functionality, product formulation and characterization (Danone, Unilever), life cycle assessments (Wageningen Food & Biobased Research institute), and recyclability (National Test Centre Circular Plastics).
The outcomes will contribute to reducing food waste, enhancing recyclability, and promoting healthy foods with increased consumer satisfaction, while also advancing the frontiers of science and technology by better understanding complex product-pack interactions. As such, the project will pave the way for future innovations in a wide range of packaged food products.

The primary objective of this project is to develop a new inner pack lipid coating technology that is independent of the pack type based on edible lipid blends that results in minimal interaction between product and pack. This will ensure non-sticking and promote efficient product evacuation with minimal waste, contributing to the wider availability and use of nutritious products in sustainable and recyclable packaging.

The project addresses two key areas that strongly support the sustainability of production and use of plan based emulsified products:
- Waste reduction by minimizing/eliminating leftover product in the pack. This leads to more efficient use of ingredients and a potential increase of consumer acceptance of (new) protein sources and vegetable protein products by promoting more easy/convenient use of plant-based proteins, in particular plant based emulsified products such as sauces and condiments which can further amplify the use of plant based meat alternatives.
- Increase recycling and reducing the water usage in the recycling process, as result of the smaller amount of product leftovers. Increasing the recyclability of the packaging will lead to more efficient use of packaging materials, as a larger part of the packaging materials can be recycled. The water reduction in the recycling process and the need to recycle less contaminated water will lead to lower energy usage in recycling process.

The main deliverable of this collaborative project is an innovative inside-pack
coating technology, benefiting multiple stakeholders:
• Danone: The project will result in the development of technology that facilitates the efficient evacuation of plant/dairy-based products from packaging, reduces product waste and water usage, and enhances packaging recyclability.
• Unilever: The project will result in the development of technology that facilitates the efficient evacuation of plant-based emulsified products from packaging, reduces product waste and water usage, and enhances packaging recyclability.
• University of Amsterdam (UvA): The project will advance soft matter expertise, specifically addressing complex fluid interactions with solid surfaces, expanding UvA’s scientific understanding in this domain.
• Anton Paar: The project will lead to advanced measurement techniques for investigating local flows and tribological measurements, enhancing Anton Paar's scientific capabilities.
• National Test Centre Circular Plastics (NTCP): The project will yield insights for designing new processes that increase plastic packaging sortability and reduce water usage during recycling.
• Wageningen Food & Biobased Research (WFBR): The project will yield insights in the sustainability and environmental impact of using alternative coatings for reducing product leftovers compared to already used packaging.