SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS: DEVELOPMENT OF BIODEGRADABLE PACKAGING BASED ON NATURAL POLYMERS AND INVESTIGATION OF THEIR IMPACT ON THE STORAGE EFFICIENCY OF FOOD PRODUCTS

This article investigates the influence of biodegradable packaging on the shelf life and suitability of food products. A bun was chosen as the research object, and its preservation efficiency in various types of biodegradable packaging was evaluated. As packaging materials, environmentally safe natural and semisynthetic polymers were used: gelatin, agar, starch, chitosan, sodium carboxymethylcellulose (NaCMC), and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). During the study, the physicochemical stability of these materials, their ability to interact with food products, and their resistance to temperature and humidity were analysed.The research was conducted in accordance with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 12 – «Responsible Consumption and Production», which focuses on reducing waste and promoting efficient use of resources through environmentally safe solutions. This study substantiates the scientific and practical importance of introducing biodegradable packaging into the food industry.The results demonstrated that the storage efficiency of biodegradable materials is not uniform. Some samples maintained product quality for a longer period, while others showed insufficient structural stability. Furthermore, it was confirmed that the decisive factors affecting packaging performance are the type of polymer, its thickness, and moisture permeability.