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Skin care to wear? Coperni launches a carewear line
by Laura Scholz
Fish skin becomes packaging
18.2.2026
Translation: machine translated
An Amazonian edible fish could soon taste more than just good. Its skin can be used to produce a sustainable packaging material.
The tambatinga is hardly known in Germany, but it is a popular edible fish in Brazil. It grows quickly, is hardy and can be bred in aquacultures. In the future, parts of it could also end up as packaging. Researchers at the University of São Paulo have developed a method to obtain a biofilm from the skin of the Amazonian fish. This is suitable as packaging material for food. The research team presents its work in the journal «Foods».
In a first step, the researchers purified the fish skins and extracted gelatine from them. They then mixed the gelatine with a film-forming solution to produce films that are transparent, flexible and have smooth surfaces.
The researchers describe the films as extremely resistant. Compared to other gelatine-based materials, they block UV rays more effectively and are less permeable to water vapour. However, the film is also susceptible to moisture, which is why it is currently only suitable as packaging for dry foods such as nuts.
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Header image: Screenshot Youtube / Aquaminas Piscicultura
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