What if you could have your packaging and eat it too? We鈥檝e seen rice paper packaging on Japanese candies, but edible plastic? Thanks to researchers at the USDA, it鈥檚 not too far in the future.
And it鈥檚 not just an edible and environmentally-friendly plastic alternative; it鈥檚 actually better at keeping food fresh than petroleum-based plastics. It鈥檒l be a few years before you see the material on shelves 鈥� don鈥檛 start chomping down just yet 鈥� but it represents a big revolution in the way we view food packaging.
Researchers are using casein, a protein found in milk, to make a flexible and very strong film 鈥� and they鈥檙e creatively calling it 鈥渃asein-based film.鈥�
There鈥檚 another food-based ingredient, too. Citrus pectin helps the material stay strong and flexible without dissolving.
And for all you vegans out there who aren鈥檛 thrilled at the thought of replacing petroleum 鈥� blech 鈥� with animal products 鈥� not great 鈥� I have good news for you: Researchers are working on making synthetic casein by cloning the necessary DNA and harnessing fermented yeast to produce it.
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