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from the gives-new-meaning-to-"Who-cut-the-cheese?" dept.
Picture this: Three years from now, you open the fridge and unwrap a package of string cheese. You eat it. It tastes better, somehow, than the ones you ate as a kid. Then you eat the packaging. And your body thanks you for it.
That's the near-future envisioned by researchers at the U.S. Department of Agriculture who are developing environmentally friendly food packaging made from milk protein, the American Chemical Society announced this week.
The material could replace the thin plastic film now stretched around blocks of cheese, packages of steaks and other foods at your supermarket. The kicker: This protein-based packaging isn't just biodegradable and edible – it keeps food fresher than plastic, too.
The film's protein, casein, bonds tightly, creating a packaging that's up to 500 times more effective than plastics at keeping oxygen away from food, researchers said. That means the packaging is better for the earth and better for your food, and it can be eaten, they said.
Dr. Laetitia Bonnaillie, a co-leader of the study, expects to see the casein packaging hit store shelves within three years.
(Score: 2) by Osamabobama on Monday August 29 2016, @10:41PM
I recall hearing that kosher food rules prohibit the mixing of meat and dairy, so wrapping meat in casein could exclude that market.
Appended to the end of comments you post. Max: 120 chars.
(Score: 1) by Francis on Tuesday August 30 2016, @02:56AM
That's a moot point as observant Jews and Muslims aren't going to be eating foods that haven't been certified as Kosher or Halal respectively. The certification process is more than just is there nothing in here that's nothing in there that breaks the rules, it has to be properly monitored and certified by an appropriate authority. If you're not doing that, then there's no point in worrying about those markets as they shouldn't be buying it anyways. Those that do, buy in spite of it not technically being approved.