Coconut fiber based biodegradable packaging materials for enhancing the shelf life of perishable commodities
Field of Invention
The present invention generally relates to coconut fiber based biodegradable packaging materials. More particularly the invention relates to the use of coconut fiber based biodegradable packaging materials for increasing the shelf life of perishable commodities.
Background of Invention:
Globally, about one-third of fresh fruits and vegetables that are produced are wasted because of spoilage during storage and transport. In developing countries like India, the wastage in fruits and vegetables is estimated to be as high as 45% during its transit across the supply chain. With increase in global population and increase in food demand, the food loss of this scale is highly undesirable. A high share of these losses is related to non-optimized handling during supply chain processes. In order to increase the shelf life of perishable commodities, currently a number of preservatives are used. Typically, this involves coating, spraying or covering the perishable commodities with certain chemicals, waxes, other synthetic products which are helpful in preventing or delaying food spoilage. But, many of the currently used preservatives may seep into the food item and pose health concerns to consumers. They are also not always effective in increasing the shelf life of perishable commodities for long enough time.
Presently, most of the packaging materials used in packing perishable commodities are petroleum-based products such as styrofoam, polystyrene, or plastic. These packaging materials pose high environmental threat, on disposing, as they are not biodegradable and release lot of toxins into the environment.

Therefore, there is a need for using biodegradable packaging materials in the transport of commodities.
In spite of much effort, there is a need for packaging materials that can enhance the shelf life of perishable fruits and vegetables. There is a further need for packaging materials that increase the shelf life of perishable commodities and are also biodegradable and compostable and are environmental friendly.
Objects of the Invention:
Primary object of the present invention is to provide a biodegradable packaging material that is suitable for packaging perishable commodities. The invention also provides a method of enhancing the shelf life of perishable commodities by using a coconut fiber based packaging material.
Summary of the Invention:
The present invention provides a biodegradable packaging material that is suitable for packaging perishable commodities. Accordingly, one embodiment of the invention is directed to a biodegradable packaging material that enhances the shelf life of perishable commodities. The biodegradable packaging material comprises a plurality of coconut fibers impregnated with a biological extract of a natural preservative.
Another aspect of the invention is to provide a method of preserving a perishable commodity. The method comprises enclosing, at least partially, the perishable commodity with a plurality of coconut fibers impregnated with a biological extract of a natural preservative.
Detailed description of the invention:
In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of various embodiments of the present

invention. However, those skilled in the art will understand that embodiments of the present invention may be practiced without these specific details, that the present invention is not limited to the depicted embodiments, and that the present invention may be practiced in a variety of alternative embodiments. In other instances, well known methods, procedures, and components have not been described in detail.
Furthermore, various operations may be described as multiple discrete steps performed in a manner that is helpful for understanding embodiments of the present invention. However, the order of description should not be construed so as to imply that these operations need be performed in the order they are presented, or that they are even order dependent. Moreover, repeated usage of the phrase "in one embodiment" does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, although it may. Lastly, the terms "comprising", "including", "having", and the like, as used in the present application, are intended to be synonymous and interpreted as open ended unless otherwise indicated.
In one embodiment, a biodegradable packaging material suitable for enhancing the shelf life of a perishable commodity is provided. The biodegradable packaging material comprises a plurality of coconut fibers impregnated with a biological extract of a natural preservative.
A packaging material, as used herein, comprises a material which surrounds (at least partially) a commodity and protects the item from breakage or damage. At present, most widely used packaging materials are petroleum-based materials such as Styrofoam, plastic or polystyrene. These materials may provide the necessary cushioning or protection, but they provide significant disposal problems. Most of these packaging materials are disposed in landfills or dump yards after one time use, they are not biodegradable and release many toxins into the atmosphere. Therefore, there is a need for packaging materials that are biodegradable. Furthermore, the currently used packaging materials for perishable commodities do not contribute to the enhancement of shelf life of these items. The

biodegradable packaging materials of the present invention comprises 100% biodegradable materials. They also significantly enhance the shelf life of the perishable commodities.
In certain embodiments, the biodegradable packaging material comprises a plurality of coconut fibers. Coconut fiber or coir is the fibrous material found between the hard, internal shell and the outer coat of a coconut. In certain embodiments, the plurality of coconut fibers comprises a brown coir. Brown coir (made from ripe coconut) is thick, strong, less-flexible and provides the advantage of high abrasion resistance. In certain other embodiments, the plurality of coconut fibers comprises a white coir. White coir fibers harvested from coconuts before they are ripe, are white or light brown in color and are smoother and finer, and are more flexible. Either can be used for the packaging applications of the present invention. Using coconut fibers for packaging applications have lot of advantages. Coconut fibers are naturally robust, fire proof, flexible, and can be easy molded into different shapes. Since, typically coconut husk is discarded, using it in packaging industry will give additional income to coconut growers. They provide the additional advantages of anti-fungal, anti-microbial and anti-mildew. The inventors have demonstrated that the coconut fibers have the property of preventing the proliferation of pathogens in perishable edible commodities, and hence greatly increases the shelf life of such edible items when they are wrapped within the coconut fibers. Thus coconut fibers form ideal packaging materials for preserving perishable goods. They are also 100% biodegradable and enrich the soil with nutrients on decomposing.
In certain embodiments of the present invention, the coconut fibers are used in a loosely aggregated form. As used herein, “loosely aggregated form” imply that the coconut fibers are not tightly held but are flexible. The loosely aggregated coconut fibers provide sufficient ventilation for the enclosed perishable commodity and hence keep them fresh for longer durations of time. In certain embodiments, the biodegradable packaging material is in the form of a loosely aggregated porous mat. The loosely aggregated coconut fibers form a mesh

structure encompassing pores in between. The coconut fiber mesh creates a porous structure, which provides good ventilation for the enclosed perishable commodity. The present inventors have discovered that it is advantageous to use coconut fibers in loosely aggregated form, in order to maintain sufficient air circulation which balances respiration and transpiration rates at optimum levels and also maintains optimum temperature for the enclosed perishable commodities.
Fig. 1(a) shows the packaging material 10, according to one embodiment of the invention, in a loosely aggregated form. Fig. 1(b) shows the packaging material 12, according to another embodiment of the invention, in a loosely aggregated mat form. The loosely aggregated porous mat 12 may be shaped in the form of a container, a pouch, a box, a storage device, or a holding device of any shape and size based on the particular requirement.
In certain embodiments, the plurality of coconut fibers are additionally pre-treated with a biological extract of a natural preservative in order to increase the preserving properties of the coconut fibers. The natural preservative comprise any of a variety of natural preservatives known in the art. Examples of suitable preservatives include but are not limited to, fenugreek, neem, turmeric, lemon juice, thyme, rosemary, citric acid, bee propolis, salt, grapefruit seed, or combinations thereof. In one particular embodiment, the natural preservative comprises fenugreek. In another embodiment, the natural preservative comprises a mixture of fenugreek and neem. The mixture may comprise the constituents in any desired ratio based on the particular need. These natural preservatives used in the present invention offer the advantages of no toxicity risks, are safe, and are eco-friendly. The biological extract of these natural preservatives can be easily prepared on a large scale.
In certain embodiments, the coconut fibers are impregnated with a biological extract of the natural preservative. The term ‘impregnated’ as used herein, means treated with, soaked, coated or covered. The impregnated natural preservative may permeate through the coconut fiber or may reside on the surface. A biological

extract as used herein comprises a component derived from a part of a species that is a member of the plant kingdom. Thus the botanical extract can be derived from a botanical source selected from the group comprised of plants, trees, saplings, seeds, seed coverings, barks, stems, leaves, roots, pollen, nuts, gall nuts, sap, tree sap, sap, nectar and combinations thereof. The botanical extract can be obtained from a single botanical component, such as the fenugreek (trigonella foenum gracum) seed, or it can be obtained from a combination of different types of plants or plant species. Thus the botanical extract may be comprised of combinations of different types of botanical extracts from different types of plants. The botanical extract can be obtained by a means selected from the group comprised of aqueous solution extraction, non-aqueous solution extraction, organic solvent extraction, non-organic solvent extraction, pH variation based extraction, chromatography separation, crude extraction refined extraction and combinations thereof. The wide variety of useful natural preservatives and the methods of preparing their biological extracts are all widely known in the art. One skilled in the art would know how to choose a suitable preservative and a process it depending on the end use application.
In the embodiments of the present invention, the term,“perishable commodity” means any substance liable to decay or deterioration; and, the terms edible substance, perishable commodity, perishable goods, perishable food and foods are used interchangeably to indicate any edible item that is suitable for ingestion, absorption or consumption by a living organism. Thus, the perishable commodity can be selected from the group comprised of, but not limited to, food, edible substances, non-edible substances, therapeutic substances, fruits, vegetables, grain products, meat products, eggs, dairy products, perishable products and combinations thereof.
The term “enhancing the shelf life of a perishable commodity”, as described in the present invention, may mean any of the following activities: extending the freshness of the perishable commodity; extending the shelf life of the perishable commodity; preventing insect infestation of the perishable commodity;

ameliorating insect infestation of the perishable commodity; preventing bacterial infection of the perishable commodity; ameliorating bacterial infection of the perishable commodity; preventing fungal infection of the perishable commodity; ameliorating fungal infection of the perishable commodity; preventing viral infection of the perishable commodity; ameliorating viral infection of the perishable commodity or a combinations of these activities.
In certain embodiments of the present invention, the biodegradable packaging material enhances the shelf life of the perishable commodity by at least about 50%. In certain particular embodiments, the biodegradable packaging material enhances the shelf life of the perishable commodity by at least about 80%. This significant increase in the shelf life of perishable commodities can lead to significant decrease in food wastage.
The biodegradable packaging materials, in these embodiments of the invention, are fundamentally different from those conventionally known in the art. There have been reports of packaging materials based on coconut fibers. Most of these packaging materials comprise molded or pressed or compacted coconut fibers along with certain binders. In contrast, the biodegradable packaging materials according to some embodiments of the present invention, comprise loosely aggregated coconut fibers impregnated with natural preservatives. The inventors have demonstrated that these aggregates with sufficient porosity are well suited for preserving perishable fruits and vegetables. Theuseof coconut fiber based packaging material for enhancing the shelf life of perishable goods, as demonstrated by the inventors in certain embodiments of the invention, can be of great value for farmers, traders and customers who are storing or transporting perishable commodities.
Another aspect of the present invention is to provide a method of increasing the shelf life of a perishable commodity. The method of increasing the shelf life of a perishable commodity comprises enclosing, at least partially, the perishable

commodity with a plurality of coconut fibers impregnated with a biological extract of a natural preservative.
In certain embodiments, the perishable commodity is partially enclosed within the biodegradable packaging material. In certain other embodiments, the perishable commodity is completely enclosed within the biodegradable packaging material. Fig. 2 shows a perishable commodity 20 enclosed within the biodegradable packaging material 22, according to one embodiment of the invention. The biodegradable packaging material, of the embodiments of the present invention, prevents the growth of microbes and hence helps in the preservation of the enclosed perishable commodity.
The plurality of coconut fibers comprise either a brown coir or white coir as described above in the biodegradable packaging material embodiments. In certain embodiments, the plurality of coconut fibers is in a loosely aggregated form. In certain embodiments, the coconut fiber is a form of a loosely aggregated porous mat, as described above.
In certain embodiments, the plurality of coconut fibers are pre-treated with a biological extract of a natural preservative. Any of the known natural preservative, as described above in the biodegradable packaging material embodiments, may be used. In certain embodiments, the natural preservative comprises a material selected from the group consisting of fenugreek, neem, turmeric, lemon juice, thyme, rosemary, citric acid, bee propolis, salt, grapefruit seed, and combinations thereof. In a particular embodiment, the natural preservative comprises fenugreek. In another particular embodiment, the natural preservative comprises a mixture of fenugreek and neem.
As described above, the perishable commodity comprises an edible substance. In certain embodiments, the edible substance is selected from the group consisting of a fruit, a vegetable, grain, grain product, meat, meat product, an egg, a dairy product, and combinations thereof.

In certain embodiments, enclosing the perishable commodity, at least partially, with the biodegradable packaging material of the present invention significantly increases its shelf life. In certain embodiments, the increase in the shelf life of the perishable commodity is at least by about 50%. In certain other embodiments, the increase in shelf life is at least about 80%. This huge enhancement in shelf life of fresh vegetables and fruits is highly desirable. The method of increasing the shelf life of perishable commodities as discussed above is very cost effective, easy to implement and follow. In a particular embodiment, a method of increasing the shelf life a perishable commodity comprises enclosing the perishable commodity with a plurality of loosely aggregated coconut fibers pre-treated with a biological extract of fenugreek and neem.
The following example describes the preparation method for making a biodegradable packaging material based on coconut fibers. This example is merely illustrative, and the invention is not limited to this example.
Example 1:
Enhancing the shelf life of strawberries by the use of coconut fiber impregnated with fenugreek extract.
Commercially available coconut fiber mats made of brown coir were procured. The coconut fiber mat was soaked in hot water and cleaned thoroughly. It was loosened sufficiently to create desired porous structure. A fenugreek extract was prepared by grinding 10 g of fenugreek seeds and soaking the resulting powder in 100 mL hot water to make a fenugreek extract. The pre-cleaned coconut fiber mats were soaked in the resulting solution for 2 hours and the coconut fibers were then dried overnight, to obtain the packaging material. Two identical strawberries 30 and 32 were kept enclosed in currently commercially used ventilated plastic box (Sample 30-shown in fig. 3 (a)) and enclosed within the fenugreek treated coconut fiber mat (Sample 32-shown in fig. 3 (b)) respectively, and kept under observation at room temperature. Sample 30 showed signs of spoilage by first 24 hours (fig. 3 (c)).Fig. 3 (d) shows sample 32 kept within the packaging material

for 24 hours devoid of any signs of spoilage. Sample 30 got completely rotted by 72 hours fig. 3 (e). On the other hand, sample 32 kelp enclosed in the packaging material prepared as described above, showed no signs of spoilage till 120 hours fig. 3 (f).
Example 2:
Enhancing the shelf life of strawberries by the use of coconut fiber impregnated with fenugreek extract.
Commercially available coconut fiber mats made of brown coir were procured. The coconut fiber mat was soaked in hot water and cleaned thoroughly. It was loosened sufficiently to create desired porous structure. A fenugreek extract was prepared by mixing 20 g of fenugreek powder 100 mL hot water. The pre-cleaned coconut fiber mats were soaked in the resulting solution for 2 hours and the coconut fibers were then dried overnight, to obtain the packaging material. Two sets of identical strawberry samples 40 and 42 were kept enclosed in currently commercially used ventilated plastic box (Sample set 40-shown in fig. 4 (a)) and enclosed within the fenugreek treated coconut fiber mat (Sample set 42-shown in fig. 4 (b) respectively, and kept under observation at room temperature. Sample set 40 showed significant signs of spoilage by first 72 hours fig. 4 (c). On the other hand, sample 42 kelp enclosed in the packaging material prepared as described above, showed no signs of spoilage till 120 hours fig. 4 (d).
While only certain features of the invention have been illustrated and described herein, many modifications and changes may occur to those skilled in the art. It is, therefore, to be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications and changes as may fall within the spirit and scope of the invention.

Brief Description of drawings:
These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood when the following detailed description is read with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which, like characters represent like parts throughout the drawings, wherein:
FIG 1 is a schematic diagram of a biodegradable packaging material, according to certain embodiments of the present invention;
FIG 2 shows a perishable commodity enclosed within a biodegradable packaging material, according to one embodiment of the present invention;
FIG 3 (a-f) shows the photographs of a perishable fruits kept enclosed within a biodegradable packaging material for various durations, according to one embodiment of the present invention; and
FIG 4 (a-d) shows the photographs of a perishable fruits kept enclosed within a biodegradable packaging material for various durations, according to another embodiment of the present invention.
Detailed description of the drawings:
Fig. 1 shows a schematic of a packaging material, according to one embodiment of the invention. Fig. 1(a) shows coconut fibers in a loosely aggregated form (10).Fig. 1(b) shows the coconut fibers in a loosely aggregated mat form (12).
Fig. 2 shows a perishable commodity 20 enclosed within a biodegradable packing material 22, according to one embodiment of the invention.
Fig. 3 (a-f) shows photographs of two identical strawberries 30 and 32 kept enclosed in a ventilated plastic box (which are currently used in transporting many perishable fruits and vegetables) and in coconut fiber packaging material, respectively, for various durations of time.

Fig. 4 (a-d) shows photographs of two identical samples of strawberries kept enclosed in currently commercially used ventilated plastic box and in coconut fiber packaging material for various durations of time.
Advantages:
The packaging material of the embodiments of the invention are biodegradable and compostable. These biodegradable packaging materials prevent the growth of microbes and hence helps in the preservation of the enclosed perishable commodity.
It has been demonstrated by the inventors that these packaging materials significantly enhance the shelf life of perishable goods. These packaging materials are especially well suited for preserving perishable fruits and vegetables. The use of coconut fiber based packaging material for enhancing the shelf life of perishable goods, as demonstrated by the inventors in certain embodiments of the invention, can be of great value for farmers, traders and customers who are storing or transporting perishable commodities.

Claims:
I claim:
1. A biodegradable packaging material, suitable for increasing the shelf life of a perishable commodity, comprising a plurality of coconut fibers impregnated with a biological extract of a natural preservative.
2. The biodegradable packaging material of Claim 1, wherein the plurality coconut fibers comprise a brown coir or a white coir.
3. The biodegradable packaging material of Claim 1, wherein the plurality of coconut fibers are in a loosely aggregated form.
4. The biodegradable packaging material of Claim 1, wherein the coconut fibers are in the form of a loosely aggregated porous mat.

5. The biodegradable packaging material of Claim 4, wherein the loosely aggregated porous mat is shaped in the form of a container, a pouch, a box, a storage device, or a holding device.
6. The biodegradable packaging material of Claim 1, wherein the natural preservative comprises a material selected from the group consisting of fenugreek, neem, turmeric, lemon juice, thyme, rosemary, citric acid, bee propolis, salt, grapefruit seed, and combinations thereof.
7. The biodegradable packaging material of Claim 6, wherein the natural preservative comprises fenugreek.
8. The biodegradable packaging material of Claim 1, wherein the natural preservative comprises a mixture of neem and fenugreek.

9. The biodegradable packaging material of Claim 1, wherein the perishable commodity is an edible substance.
10. The biodegradable packaging material of Claim 9, wherein the edible

substance is selected from the group consisting of a fruit, a vegetable, a grain, a grain product, meat, egg, dairy product, and combinations thereof.
11. The biodegradable packaging material of Claim 1, wherein the biodegradable
packaging material enhances the shelf life of the perishable commodity by at least
about 50%.
12. A method of increasing the shelf life of a perishable commodity comprising
enclosing, at least partially, the perishable commodity with a plurality of coconut
fibers impregnated with a biological extract of a natural preservative.
13. The method of Claim 12, wherein the plurality of coconut fibers comprise a brown coir or a white coir.
14. The method of Claim 12, wherein the plurality of coconut fibers is in a loosely aggregated form.
15. The method of Claim 12, wherein the plurality of coconut fibers is in the form of a loosely aggregated porous mat.

16. The method of Claim 12, wherein the natural preservative comprises a material selected from the group consisting of fenugreek, neem, turmeric, lemon juice, thyme, rosemary, citric acid, bee propolis, salt, grapefruit seed, and combinations thereof.
17. The method of Claim 16, wherein the natural preservative comprises fenugreek.
18. The method of Claim 12, wherein the perishable commodity comprises an edible substance.
19. The method of Claim 12, wherein the edible substance is selected from the group consisting of a fruit, a vegetable, grain, grain product, meat, meat product, an egg, a dairy product, and combinations thereof.

20. The method of Claim 12, wherein enclosing the perishable commodity, at least partially, increases the shelf life of the perishable commodity by at least about 50%.
21. A method of increasing the shelf life a perishable commodity comprising enclosing at least partially, the perishable commodity with a plurality of coconut fibers pre-treated with a biological extract of fenugreek and neem.