Sustainable and safe use of metals and metal alloys as food contact materials

Important results from the project

FOSMET has increased the understanding of how plant-based food interacts with stainless steel – an area of large industrial relevance. The results show differences in adsorption between plant and animal food, metal migration and corrosion resistance. The knowledge enables the development of sustainable cleaning strategies, optimized material choices and improved food safety. New collaborations have been established and important knowledge gaps identified.

Expected long term effects

The knowledge generated within FOSMET has strengthened the mechanistic and applied understanding of how plant-based biomolecules affect stainless steel surface properties, corrosion and metal migration processes. The results provide an important basis for the development of optimized cleaning strategies and material selection in the food industry, with the goal of achieving increased sustainability, more efficient production and improved food safety.

Approach and implementation

The project was carried out in parallel work packages. Cleaning aspects, not initially budgeted, were addressed. The schedule was mostly followed, though more method development than expected meant that many results were produced in the last six months. Collaboration among all parties worked very well, contributing to the successful completion of project goals.