Scientists from the Samara Polytechnic University developed disposable edible tableware, replacing polymers and cellulose with applesauce. These cups and plates are not inferior to plastic or paper analogues. The university has already registered three patents for the unique technology.
Nadezhda Makarova, chief of the Technology and Catering Department and project manager, says that the initial task was to create packaging to keep and pre-heat food and be eaten together with it.
Previously it was just conditionally edible films, the body failed to digest them fully due to chemical additives , although they did no harm. Russian scientists created a packaging material solely from natural ingredients without preservatives and dyes.
To produce edible film, first they make fruit or vegetable puree, then form a mass with a softening agent and leave the sheet it to dry at a temperature of no higher than 60 degrees. A similar technology is applied for edible tableware, the only difference is that the viscous mass is poured into a special form and then dried.
While edible film is better to be made from fruits and vegetables, applesauce suits best for tableware, as it has better taste and plastic properties. You can pour boiling water into an apple cup, and it will retain its properties for about an hour. Then you can eat, all the more so because the product is low in calorie, or throw it out. Tableware decomposes for a few days. If placed in water, it dissolves in twelve hours.
The inventors expect to produce whole sets of disposable tableware. However, the price is quite high. A cup costs 30-40 rubles ($0.5) on the average.
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