Portal Único del Estado Colombiano
Accesibility Panel

Prof. Diego Alberto Castellanos Espinosa

Coordinator Food Packaging and Shelf Life Laboratory

dacastellanose@unal.edu.co +57-6013165000 ext. 19220 Perfil CVLac; ScholarGoogle; ResearchGate; Scopus

 

Main areas of work: Food packaging; shelf life; modeling and simulation.

Education: Chemical Engineer; Specialist in Food Science and Technology; M.Sc. Food Science and Technology; Ph.D. Chemical Engineering.

Research interests:

  • Active food packaging systems.
  • Shelf life determination and modeling in food.
  • Storage of fresh and minimally processed agricultural products.
  • Design and production of packaging and containers from bioplastics and nano/micro-composites.

Research groups:

  • Food quality assurance and new product development.
  • Horticulture  (perfil GrupLAC).

Recent Projects:

  • Development of Rigid and Semi-Rigid Active Packaging with a Circular Bioeconomy Approach to Extend the Shelf Life of Perishable Agri-Food Products (2025).
  • ACTIPACK as a Technological Platform for Active Packaging in the Agroindustry (2024).
  • Development of Biopackaging from Renewable Amazonian Resources. Amazonas. ICTA–SINCHI (2023–2024).
  • Evaluation of Active Moisture-Adsorbing Materials for the Development of Packaging Systems for the Preservation of Perishable Plant-Based Products (2021–2023)

Outstandings publications:

  • Posada, N. C., Peña-Venegas, C. P., & Castellanos, D. A. (2026). Reinforcement Materials and Processing of Starch-Based Composites for Rigid and Semi-Rigid Food Packaging. Journal of Food Process Engineering, 49(2), e70381. https://doi.org/10.1111/jfpe.70381
  • Garavito, J., Posada, N. C., Peña-Venegas, C. P., & Castellanos, D. A. (2025). Carbon Footprint of Plastic Bags and Polystyrene Dishes vs. Starch-Based Biodegradable Packaging in Amazonian Settlements. Polymers, 17(24), 3242. https://doi.org/10.3390/polym17243242
  • Vera-Mahecha, M., Noriega, M. A., & Castellanos, D. A. (2025). Development of moisture-adsorbent cellulose aerogels with application in the packaging and preservation of fresh products. Journal of Food Engineering, 397, 112605. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfoodeng.2025.112605
  • Mahecha-Rubiano, Y. R., Garavito, J., & Castellanos, D. A. (2024). Configuration of a combined active packaging system with modified atmospheres and antimicrobial control to preserve fresh strawberry fruits. Food Packaging and Shelf Life, 46, 101390. doi.org/10.1016/j.fpsl.2024.101390