Edible film from milk proteins

SCIENTISTs are developing a packaging film made of milk proteins that is also edible. This innovation is only one of over 9,0000 scientific breakthroughs presented at the 252nd National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS). ACS, the world’s largest scientific society.

The fact that the film is edible makes people look up and listen because it is one technology that the food industry needs as it addresses issues on waste.

“The protein-based films are powerful oxygen blockers that help prevent food spoilage. When used in packaging, they could prevent food waste during distribution along the food chain,” according to research leader Peggy Tomasula, D.Sc.

Not only does edible packaging address spoilage, it will allow companies to utilize less plastics which are currently the packaging material of choice for products like snacks, meat, and other foods sold in retails stores. Thin films are non-recyclable and non-biodegradable, and have limits to preventing spoilage. Certain plastics are suspected of leaching potentially harmful compounds into food.

Current food packaging is mainly petroleum-based, which is not sustainable. It also does not degrade, creating tons of plastic waste that sits in landfills for years.

Researchers tested their milk-protein film as a packaging for blocks of cheese. Photo: American Chemical Society

500 times better than plastic

To create an all-around better packaging solution, Ms Tomasula and colleagues at the U.S. Department of Agriculture are developing an environmentally friendly film made of the milk protein casein. These casein-based films are up to 500 times better than plastics at keeping oxygen away from food and, because they are derived from milk, are biodegradable, sustainable and edible. Some commercially available edible packaging varieties are already on the market, but these are made of starch, which is more porous and allows oxygen to seep through its microholes. The milk-based packaging, however, has smaller pores and can thus create a tighter network that keeps oxygen out.