Towards a new protective action against human exposure to pollutants via seafood-An active packaging approach (DetoxPak)

Toxic pollutants in the environment are a global concern posing serious threats to public health.

Despite the protective measures taken, seafoods are still the predominant route of human exposure to some of those pollutants, especially methylmercury (MeHg) and dioxins.

In DetoxPak, the aim is to develop a new active packaging technology enabling selective removal of MeHg and dioxins from fish products, as a novel action to reduce human exposure to the pollutants.

In this new approach, packaging materials coated with a food safe functional layer containing silica, with chelating functional groups and tuned structure, will be developed to selectively remove MeHg and dioxins from fish products having a liquid medium e.g. canned and marinated products.

Using an interdisciplinary team, and via three work packages we will (i) develop tailored silica-rich functional coatings for selective removal of MeHg and dioxins, (ii) integrate the coatings in metal packaging materials and explore their efficiency in removing the named toxicants from canned tuna and marinated Baltic herring for proof of concept and (iii)  investigate possible improvements in the safety of the products packed with the new packaging materials using effect-based toxicology and risk-benefit analysis.

Project outcomes will provide a complement to the measures already taken to protect the public against exposure to the toxic pollutants through seafood but without depriving us of the healthy nutrients in fish.