I-Corps: Translation Potential of Nanofiber-based Food Packaging

This I-Corps project focuses on the development of an advanced food packaging material designed to enhance food safety, reduce spoilage, detect the presence of foodborne pathogens, and extend the shelf life of perishable products such as meat, produce, and seafood. The project addresses a critical issue in the food industry, where current packaging solutions often fail to manage moisture effectively or detect and inhibit microbial growth. These shortcomings contribute to foodborne illness, decreased consumer confidence, and significant economic losses due to waste and product recalls. This packaging material introduces an advanced material design that improves visibility of packaged items, optimizes moisture control, and integrates pathogen detection features. By extending product freshness and supporting safer consumption, this innovation aims to reduce food waste, enhance public health outcomes, and promote national food security. The successful implementation of this technology could improve industry standards, reduce spoilage-related losses, and deliver measurable societal and economic benefits. This I-Corps project utilizes experiential learning coupled with a first-hand investigation of the industry ecosystem to assess the translation potential of the technology. This solution is based on the development of a multifunctional absorbent pad comprising advanced layered materials, including electrospun nanofibers engineered for high moisture absorption, antimicrobial activity, and microbial detection capability. The system is designed to incorporate features such as controlled release of food-safe antimicrobial agents to suppress pathogen growth. Scientific advancements in nanofiber fabrication allow integration of both detection and mitigation functions within a single packaging component, which distinguishes this solution from traditional absorbent pads or costly vacuum and modified atmosphere systems. This approach supports the development of a scalable, cost-effective packaging technology capable of enhancing food safety and prolonging shelf-life across multiple products. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.