Nisin's circular economy model

The circular economy model of Nisin in the recycling and reuse of waste food packaging mainly involves two aspects: extracting Nisin from packaging waste and recycling packaging materials. The details are as follows:

Extraction of Nisin from Waste Food Packaging

Solvent Extraction Method

According to Chinese Patent CN-105440113-A, the pH of Nisin-containing fermentation concentrate can be adjusted to 1.7–3.0, then mixed with slightly water-soluble or water-insoluble organic solvents such as dichloromethane, n-butanol, and ethyl acetate. After stirring and standing, solid-phase separation is performed to obtain Nisin wet cake, which is then dried under vacuum to obtain Nisin products with a purity of over 50%.

Aqueous Two-Phase Micellar System Extraction

Studies have shown that using Triton X-114 as a phase-forming surfactant to construct an aqueous two-phase micellar system allows Nisin to preferentially partition into the micelle-rich phase, with increased antibacterial activity. This method can simultaneously remove impurities and pollutants, making it a promising, scalable, and cost-effective Nisin purification approach.

High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC)

Using acetonitrile and dilute hydrochloric acid as extraction solvents, followed by ultrasonic and water bath extraction, Nisin can be recovered from residual food packaging of dairy products, sauces, etc., through qualitative and quantitative analysis by HPLC, with high recovery rates.

Recycling of Waste Food Packaging Materials

Physical Recycling

Waste food packaging is collected, sorted, and subjected to pretreatment processes such as cleaning, crushing, and compression to achieve a physical state suitable for subsequent processing. For example, crushed plastic films can be used to produce recycled plastic products, and cardboard can be used to produce pulp or paper products.

Chemical Recycling

For instance, Nissin Foods Group has successfully developed a technology to chemically recycle polystyrene (PS) cups. Collected waste PS products are chemically decomposed to recover chemicals such as styrene, which are then reused to produce new PS cups, realizing efficient resource utilization.

Biodegradation

For food packaging waste that is difficult to recycle, biodegradation can be applied. For example, waste plastics and paper are placed in compost, where they are decomposed into harmless substances by microorganisms, eventually becoming soil conditioners or fertilizers.

Through the above methods, the circular economy model of Nisin can maximize resource utilization in the recycling and reuse of waste food packaging, reduce environmental impact from waste, and lower production costs, thus achieving significant economic and environmental benefits.