Towards sustainability in Space food packaging

Background: In recent decades, research into food packaging has become increasingly important. Food packaging not only plays a key role in the marketing and distribution of products, but also offers significant value to both supply chain stakeholders and consumers. This role becomes even more crucial in the context of the food industry, particularly in the specialised field of Space exploration. Scope and approach: The main objective of this document is to provide an analysis of the state of the art in sustainable packaging for Sspace food and to investigate the use of technology transfer models between the terrestrial and Space sectors to launch innovative projects on these issues. Key findings and conclusions: Emphasizing the fundamental role of food packaging in Space applications, this study highlights how one of the most dynamic areas of development today lies in the design and adoption of sustainable packaging solutions. Unlike terrestrial packaging, that intended for Space food must comply with strict mass and volume constraints, ensure sterility and palatability, and guarantee resistance to radiation, extreme temperature variations, and microgravity conditions. The study provides evidence that technologies originally developed in the manufacturing sector, such as nanomaterials, biodegradable polymers, and high-barrier monomaterials, can be adapted and transferred to the Space context through targeted technology transfer processes, thereby contributing to the achievement of sustainability objectives in long-duration missions.