Amazonian fish skin biofilm tested as greener food packaging option

by Clarence Oxford
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Feb 17, 2026

Using the skin of an Amazonian fish known as tambatinga as the raw material, researchers in Brazil have developed a gelatin based biofilm that can serve as a more sustainable option for food packaging. The work was carried out by a team at the University of Sao Paulo (USP) and EMBRAPA Pecuaria Sudeste, a decentralized unit of the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation located in Sao Carlos in the state of Sao Paulo.

Tambatinga is produced by crossing female tambaqui (Colossoma macropomum) with male pirapitinga (Piaractus brachypomus), and it is valued in aquaculture for its strong growth performance and collagen rich skin. Because it is a tropical species, its skin may contain higher levels of amino acids than some temperate species, a trait that can improve the functional and structural properties of the gelatin extracted from it for film formation.

In the study, which received support from the Sao Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) through the Food Research Center (FoRC), one of the Foundations Research, Innovation, and Dissemination Centers, the fish skin was used to obtain biodegradable polymers that could at least partly replace petroleum based plastic films commonly used in food packaging. The findings were reported in the journal Foods under the title "Sustainable Biopolymer Films from Amazonian Tambatinga Fish Waste: Gelatin Extraction and Performance for Food Packaging Applications."

"Weve been working for over 25 years on the development of films based on biopolymers, such as proteins and polysaccharides, with the aim of applying this material to food packaging and reducing the environmental impact, since there are many problems associated with the accumulation of synthetic packaging in nature," said food engineer Paulo Jose do Amaral Sobral, a professor in the Department of Food Engineering at the USP campus in Pirassununga. Sobral supervised the work of zootechnician Manuel Antonio Chagas Jacintho and food engineer Fernanda Ramalho Procopio, both with EMBRAPA.

The experimental process started with cleaning the tambatinga skins and extracting gelatin using hot water and acetic acid to remove impurities and isolate the collagen derived material. The team then prepared films by using two grams of gelatin for every 100 grams of film forming solution, producing transparent, flexible sheets with uniform surfaces suited for packaging tests.

Mechanical and barrier measurements showed that the tambatinga gelatin films were highly resistant and offered strong protection against ultraviolet light. The films also displayed lower water vapor permeability than other gelatin based materials described in earlier studies, which indicates improved performance in limiting moisture transfer compared with several existing biopolymer films.

These characteristics highlight the potential of fish skin, typically treated as industrial waste, as a renewable and higher value feedstock for sustainable biopolymers. Converting what would otherwise be discarded into packaging materials aligns with circular economy goals and could lower dependence on fossil fuel derived plastics in the food supply chain.

One limitation identified in the work is the sensitivity of the gelatin films to moisture. According to Sobral, this means that in their current form the materials are suitable mainly for dehydrated products, such as nuts and chestnuts, where environmental humidity and water content in the foods are relatively low.

The researchers see the results as a starting point for further development rather than a finished commercial solution. They argue that continued studies are needed to modify the formulations or combine the gelatin with other components so that tambatinga based biopolymers can be used more broadly in food packaging, pharmaceutical products, and biomedical applications.

If these improvements are achieved, the biopolymer could add economic value to the aquaculture sector by creating a new market for fish processing residues. The approach would also support an integrated and environmentally responsible production chain that connects fish farming, materials science, and sustainable packaging technologies under a single framework.

Research Report:Sustainable Biopolymer Films from Amazonian Tambatinga Fish Waste: Gelatin Extraction and Performance for Food Packaging Applications