Morshed Khandaker
University of Central Oklahoma, OK·Materials Science
Meat, produce and seafood spoil quickly, and today's packaging often fails to control moisture or to detect and stop the growth of microbes. These gaps contribute to foodborne illness, product recalls, lost consumer confidence and large amounts of wasted food.
- Fields
Materials Science
Engineering
Biomedical Engineering
- Topics
food packaging
active packaging
smart packaging
- Grants
- 1 known grant, through May 2027
What they work on
- Assess the market and translation potential of a multifunctional absorbent food packaging pad by investigating the food industry first-hand, to judge whether it can be made into a scalable, low-cost product.
- Develop a layered absorbent pad that uses electrospun nanofibers for high moisture absorption, antimicrobial activity and detection of foodborne pathogens in packaged meat, produce and seafood.
- Incorporate controlled release of food-safe antimicrobial agents into the nanofiber pad to suppress pathogen growth and extend shelf life, as a cheaper alternative to vacuum or modified-atmosphere packaging.
More about the research
This project explores whether a new packaging material can be brought to market. The material is a multifunctional absorbent pad of the kind placed under fresh foods. It is built from layered materials that include electrospun nanofibers, which are extremely thin fibers drawn out using an electric field. The nanofibers are engineered to absorb a lot of moisture, to kill microbes, and to signal the presence of foodborne pathogens. The design also calls for controlled release of food-safe antimicrobial agents to slow pathogen growth, and it aims to keep packaged food easy to see. Combining detection and protection in a single packaging part sets this approach apart from ordinary absorbent pads and from costly vacuum or modified-atmosphere packaging. Through hands-on learning and direct investigation of the food packaging industry, the team will assess whether this technology can become a scalable, low-cost product suitable for many kinds of food.
Why it matters
A low-cost packaging pad that absorbs moisture, slows microbial growth and flags foodborne pathogens could help food producers and retailers extend the shelf life of meat, produce and seafood. It may reduce food waste, spoilage losses and recalls. It could also make food safer for consumers and support national food security.
Known grants
From NIH and NSF research grants. Labs often have other funding we can't see.
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The school
University of Central Oklahoma: 3 labs on PI Pages, $4M a year on research.
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