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In one study, we measured a significant reduction in stress while using certain cosmetics. These findings might be of interest to you if you also manufacture olfactory active ingredients or would like to use them in your products to produce a reinvigorating, refreshing, calming or relaxing effect. You can read the full peer-reviewed article titled: "Measurement of Stress Relief during Scented Cosmetic Product Application Using a Mood Questionnaire, Stress Hormone Levels and Brain Activation" here.

The nutritional quality of food is especially important for elderly people, most of all if they suffer from loss of appetite and are at a high risk of malnutrition. At the same time, the proportion of elderly people in the population is rising rapidly. To ensure adequate and healthy nutrition based on sustainable practices, new plant-based foods that are rich in protein and fiber need to be developed. As part of the APPETITE group project, we are combining ingredients from a variety of vegetable sources in a targeted way in order to adapt the amino acid composition of products to best fit the requirements of elderly people.

We are developing 3D forming technology for alternative food, cosmetics and pharmaceutical packaging materials that will safeguard the quality and properties of a product while also taking into account the resilience and efficiency of the packaging processes. By combining fundamental 3D geometries with smooth shapes with the option of embossing complex surface reliefs, 3D forming technology offers a new spectrum of designs for packaging that keeps its shape.

Improved recyclability of products, minimum quotas for the use of recycled materials in production and investment in new recycling technology and capacities are all drivers for implementing a circular economy for plastics. These are some of the results of the KUREA study, which was carried out by the company Ramboll in close collaboration with our institute on behalf of the German Environment Agency (UBA).

The collaborative MoPlasDekon project funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) saw the development of a mobile plasma system for disinfecting emergency personnel’s protective equipment. Comprehensive tests were carried out to examine its microbicidal effectiveness. Special sensors were used to monitor the process and gas concentration levels. As part of the ongoing lighthouse project MoPlas2Dekon-PRO, researchers are aiming to further develop the compact plasma system so that it can efficiently disinfect rooms.

The European Circular Economy Action Plan includes calls to use post-consumer recycled packaging. However, this packaging poses major challenges for safety, especially when it comes to food contact materials. In light of this, we have developed a testing strategy to comprehensively assess the safety of recycled plastic materials as part of the PolyCycle project.

As part of the "Center for Biogenic Value Creation and Smart Farming", we are working together with four other Fraunhofer Institutes to reorganize the entire value chain in the food sector in terms of sustainability and to support companies in the food industry in their transformation process. The initiative was launched in July by the Bavarian Minister of Economic Affairs, Hubert Aiwanger, during his visit to the Fraunhofer IVV.

Gas chromatography can be used to detect bad odors during the quality assurance stage of sensitive processes, such as in food production and processing. However, a large amount of instruments and specially trained staff are needed for this. In addition, it is not suitable for continuous monitoring and is only able to take samples at specific points in time. So that the quality can be checked straight away by the grower or user, or undesirable odors identified while production is ongoing, we are developing needs-based and cost-effective gas chromatography sensor systems.

With the AJCsens, we are presenting the newest version of an intelligent, autonomous tank cleaning system for time- and resource-optimized cleaning processes. For the first time, a highly integrated and miniaturized optical inline contamination sensor in the nozzle head of the jet cleaner — which can move 360 — makes holistic and permanent inline monitoring of the tank cleaning process possible. Experience the AJCsens and another innovative sensor solution for needs-based design of the cleaning process in closed systems at the stand in VDMA Hall B3, stand 336.

We are functionalizing the barrier characteristics of bio-based coatings for paper packaging so that they can satisfy the level of product protection required and comply with the requirements of the recycling process. To do so, we are working with the Papiertechnische Stiftung (German Paper Technology Institute) as part of the interdisciplinary team on the Cooperative Industrial Research (IGF) project “BiPaRe” — BioPaperRecycling — which began in 2021. Our focus is the systematic analysis of the interference potential of the coatings subject to various chemical polymer matrices.