It is understood that two researchers from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) have developed a film made from milk protein that can be eaten with cheese in the package. It is an edible, biodegradable and novel packaging material. Compared to plastic packaging, casein packaging films can be made into thin sheets or sprayed onto food to form a packaging coating. Moreover, the new film not only prevents food from spoiling, but also significantly reduces plastic contamination in landfills. Cheese bars are common and not particularly healthy, but are a popular snack in the United States. Cheese strips with beautiful inner packaging appear in many children's lunch boxes. Each mozzarella cheese or cheddar cheese is a small independent package, so thousands of small pieces of plastic packaging are thrown into it every day. The trash can, and finally enter the landfill. This situation may not last long. Two researchers at the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) have developed a film made from milk protein that can be eaten with cheese wrapped inside. This means that it may not be long before we can taste a bag that can be eaten with healthy nutrition. The use of milk protein in food packaging bags not only prevents food spoilage, but also significantly reduces plastic contamination in landfills. Film made from milk protein Peggy Tomasula, one of the main researchers in the study, said, “This is a layer of inner packaging that can be eaten to replace the previously packaged cheese sticks. It not only provides people with more More vitamins and minerals can also prevent light damage to food and add a variety of flavors to the food. For example, strawberry flavor can be added to the inner packaging film of the food." The main ingredient of this novel package is casein, a group of milk proteins with high nutritional value. Since 2000, Tommasula has been studying casein. She has discovered that a new protein synthesized with carbon dioxide is not readily soluble in water and can be used to make film coatings that extend the shelf life of dairy products. Another scientist, Leticia Bonaire, joined the research team of the US Department of Agriculture to study whether it is possible to make the packaging film from the remaining milk powder produced in the dairy farm. Bonaire is still Further research and improvement will make it less sensitive to humidity and increase the prospects for its commercial application. The research was recently announced at the annual meeting of the American Chemical Society, calling it an edible, biodegradable and novel packaging material. Unlike plastic packaging, casein packaging films can be formed into thin sheets or sprayed onto food to form a packaging coating. It can block oxygen from entering the food more effectively than universal plastic packaging, so it can prevent food spoilage and improve the shelf life of the food for a longer period of time. Casein films can be used both in food and directly onto food. But the use of this novel package has some limitations, at least in the initial stages. “The food that will be used primarily in dairy products, or with dairy products, such as cereals,†says Tomasula. “But we will not promote this package for the fruit and vegetable market. We will not do this, mainly because of milk allergy. The use of this package must be labelled to let people know that it is milk protein.†But this does not mean canceling all packaging for cheese and other dairy products that will still need to be “hidden†in the box or outer packaging in some way to prevent food from being soiled or exposed to excessive absorption in the air. Moisture. But the elimination of the small plastic packaging inside means that the landfill can reduce a lot of plastic waste. It is estimated that plastics can take up to a thousand years to degrade, and unfortunately, the recycling rate of plastic waste thrown away by Americans is less than one-third. Bonellier's idea is to design different casein films. For example, water-soluble films are more suitable for foods that need to be dissolved in water, and foods that are not damp are required to have better moisture-proof casein film packaging. “We are experimenting with different requirements for casein films,†she said. “The research on the practical application of commercialization has just begun, and there are still many things we have to do.†For example, if you want to cook an instant coffee or quick-hand soup, you no longer need to tear open the bag. You can directly put the packet of casein film into the water, and even the contents of the package will dissolve in the water, and can also provide people with Additional protein nutrition. For example, spraying a protein film on a cereal instead of the usual sugaring makes the cereal more brittle. “This may be a healthy way to lose weight, which can greatly reduce the amount of sugar intake,†Bonellier said. The future of edible packaging is expected Tomasula added, “We can also produce chocolate-flavored edible packaging, or combine multiple ingredients to provide more nutrition.†Tommasula and Bonaire said they are In cooperation with some companies, it is expected that this edible packaging will be introduced to the market in the next three years.