Edible food packaging anyone?
A new edible packaging technology will allow people to eat and transport food without plastic. Called Wikicells, the edible membrane encloses food and liquid. Inspired by nature’s bottles such as grapes, the membrane comprised of a charged polymer and food particles, which in turn is protected by a hard shell easily broken much like that of an egg.
Harvard scientist David Edwards and his team have developed a variety of different platforms for WikiCells that can be served as meals, drinks and snacks, including a tomato membrane containing gazpacho soup that can be poured over bread; an orange membrane filled with orange juice that you can drink with a straw; smaller grape-like membrane holding wine; and a chocolate membrane containing hot chocolate.
“In the near term, we will be encountering WikiCells in restaurant settings,” he said. WikiCells will expand to specialty stores and supermarkets. Eventually, Edwards hopes to develop a product platform for WikiCells that would allow individuals to produce their own edible bottles. The idea of edible packaging has been around for a while; however, there has not been any that have actually come to market.
Category: Features, Technology & Devices
