Sustainable agro-food materials

The Sustainable Agro-Food Materials Group makes research about circular bioeconomy, transforming agricultural waste and food by-products into advanced materials for agriculture and food packaging with the aim of replacing petroleum-derived plastics. The group's activities currently focus on: (1) using tomato pomace for the production of sustainable lacquers, (2) the upcycling of industrial potato waste for the fabrication of metal food packaging, (3) the preparation of bioplastics from by-products derived from subtropical crops, and (4) the valorization of cellulose for the preparation of biodegradable food packaging. The group works with a multidisciplinary approach and combines Food Science and Technology, Materials Science, and Chemical Technology to offer innovative and sustainable solutions, addressing the challenges of the agri-food sector and improving environmental impact.