I’ve written in the past about edible water bottles. And now we may soon have edible food packaging as well.
The Jerusalem Post explains:
“The world is drowning in plastic, and one can hardly buy anything in the supermarket without encountering wrapping and other packaging made of this oil-based polluter that accounts for a major proportion of waste in landfills.
Now, scientists at the Chinese University of Hong Kong have developed an edible, transparent and biodegradable material with considerable potential for use as food packaging.
The heavy reliance on petrochemicals and inherent non-biodegradability of plastic packaging means it has long been a significant contributor to environmental contamination. The team members have turned their attention to bacterial cellulose (BC) – an organic compound derived from certain types of bacteria that has gained attention as a sustainable, easily available and non-toxic solution to the pervasive use of plastics.
Prof. To Ngai from the chemistry department explained that the impressive tensile strength and high versatility of BC are the keys to its potential.
‘Extensive research has been conducted on BC, including its use in intelligent packaging, smart films and functionalized materials created through blending, coating and other techniques. These studies demonstrate the potential of BC as a replacement for single-use plastic packaging materials, making it a logical starting point for our research.’
Unlike the cellulose found in the cell walls of plants, BC can be produced through microbial fermentation that eliminates the need for harvesting trees or crops. Ngai noted that as a result, “this production method does not contribute to deforestation or habitat loss, making BC a more sustainable and environmentally friendly material alternative to plant cellulose.”
Up until now, the widespread adoption of BC has been limited by its unfavorable sensitivity to moisture in the air (hygroscopicity) that detrimentally impacts its physical properties.
In the recent paper, published in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture and titled ‘Edible, strong, and low-hygroscopic bacterial cellulose derived from biosynthesis and physical modification for food packaging,’ the researchers presented a novel approach to address the limitations of BC-based materials.
By incorporating certain soy proteins into the structure and coating it with an oil-resistant composite, the scientists successfully created an edible, transparent and robust BC-based composite packaging.”
Now in the future parents will have one more thing to tell their kids to do: no dessert for you unless you finish everything on your plate and eat your packaging too!
Is Edible Food Packaging the Greatest Idea Ever?
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