Physical and Chemical Stability of PLA in Food Packaging

Massimiliano Gerometta (1, 2, 3) , Jeancarlo Renzo Rocca-Smith (1, 2, 3) , Sandra Domenek (4) , Thomas Karbowiak (1, 2, 3)

1 UBFC - Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté [COMUE]
2 AgroSup Dijon - Institut National Supérieur des Sciences Agronomiques, de l'Alimentation et de l'Environnement
3 PAM - Procédés Alimentaires et Microbiologiques [Dijon]
4 GENIAL - Ingénierie, Procédés, Aliments

Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) is a biobased and biodegradable polymer which constitutes a promising alternative to conventional plastics in food packaging. However, due to its water sensitivity, it is hydrolyzed over time when stored in high relative humidity environments or when in contact with aqueous media, thus limiting its application range for food storage. This article reviews the advances reached in understanding the interactions between water and PLA, focusing on the impacts on its chemical and physical stability under conditions of use as a food contact material.

Mots clés: Food simulant; Hydrolysis; Physical aging; PLA; Shelf life; Storage; Water; Accelerated shelf life testing; Biobased; Biodegradable; Bioplastic; Food packaging

Domaines: Ingénierie des aliments

Massimiliano Gerometta, Jeancarlo Renzo Rocca-Smith, Sandra Domenek, Thomas Karbowiak. Physical and Chemical Stability of PLA in Food Packaging. Reference Module in Food Science, Elsevier, 2019, ⟨10.1016/B978-0-08-100596-5.22471-2⟩. ⟨hal-02172044⟩