Imagine a plastic pizza box made entirely of tomatoes. You could bake the pizza and the box together, and it would become part of the pizza after baking. The state-owned Brazilian agricultural research company Embrapa Instrumentation, in collaboration with the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture, developed this edible plastic using spinach, papaya, guava, and tomatoes.
No food waste, and sustainable packaging materials
"We can have the food recycling industry create the materials. Edible plastic technology can ensure sustainability in two ways: no food is wasted, and it replaces disposable synthetic materials," said Luiz Henrique Capparelli Mattoso, the coordinating scientist for the research project. Embrapa is the world's first company to create plastic films using tropical fruits.
This material shares similar physical properties with traditional plastics, such as toughness and texture, and can also keep food clean. Edible plastics also open up more possibilities for the packaging industry. Mattoso said that plastic film for poultry packaging can also have a flavoring function, while plastic packaging for soups can dissolve in boiling water.
Edible plastics are made by mixing dehydrated ingredients with nanomaterials, where the nanomaterials help stabilize the structure. "The biggest challenge in this research is finding the ideal formula, the recipe and proportions of the raw materials, to give the material the properties we want," said José Manoel Marconcini, a materials engineer at Embrapa who participated in the project.
Edible plastics are made from a mixture of dehydrated ingredients and nanomaterials, where the nanomaterials help stabilize the structure. "The biggest challenge in this research is finding the ideal formula, the recipe and proportions of the raw materials, to give the material the properties we want," said José Manoel Marconcini, a materials engineer at Embrapa who is involved in the project.
From biodegradable to edible: The evolution of plastic packaging materials.
The development of edible plastics began 20 years ago, when Mattoso started researching materials science in Embrapa. "Initially, the goal was to use renewable materials as an alternative to petroleum-derived polymers," Mattoso recalled. To achieve this goal, the research team began adding natural fibers to synthetic plastics, creating composite materials from the two raw materials.
The research team tested various materials, including sisal, cotton, jute, coconut fiber, and bagasse. Mattoso said that in the laboratory, these materials were more resistant to pulling and impact, and were also three times stronger than 100% synthetic polymers.
Before developing edible plastics, this research team developed biodegradable polymers to meet the need for packaging materials that could be rapidly decomposed by the environment. To further improve safety and hygiene standards in the manufacturing process, the team eventually developed edible plastics.
Scientists are now extending the shelf life of food by adding chitosan—an antibacterial polysaccharide found in the exoskeleton of crabs. This natural molecule has antibacterial properties, thus prolonging the time food spends on shelves.
Sources: Environmental Information Center (2015-01-14)
