Spray-On, Rinse-Off Food ‘Wrapper’ Can Cut Plastic Packaging
Packaging is essential for preserving and distributing many kinds of foods, but it often incorporates plastic—scraps of which already litter too much of the planet, posing a threat to wildlife and contaminating drinking water and soil. Now researchers say they have developed a nontoxic, biodegradable and antimicrobial food coating that could reduce food waste and foodborne illness without adding plastic to the environment. A new study shows this material can be effectively sprayed on individual pieces of produce, such as fruits or vegetables. Removing it is as simple as rinsing it off with water.
Related Knowledge Center: Plastics: overview
General information on plastics and their impact on the environment.