WikiCell – Edible Food Packaging
Wouldn’t it be amazing if you could eat the packaging surrounding your food instead of having to pull it off and throw it away? That’s the plan behind WikiCell Designs Inc., and it’s likely to become a reality sooner than you may think. In fact, the company has successfully developed several types of membrane-based food packaging. To learn more about this new edible food packaging offered by WikiCell Designs Inc., keep reading.
WikiCell Designs Inc. is a company founded and ran by Harvard professor Dr. David Edwards. Using his knowledge and expertise in biology, he teamed up with François Azambourg to create an edible bottle used to store drinks. After the duos invention successfully held the liquid in place, Edwards decided to continue on the path of creating more edible packaging, only this time it would be for food. “The notion is that you are englobing liquid, foam, or something else in a soft membrane held together by food particles that are being connected by electrostatic charges to each other and to a small amount of natural polymer.”
If all of this sounds a little too scientific for you, let me try to explain the concept behind WikiCells a little better – the company’s goal is to create edible packaging that runs on the same principle as barriers protecting fruit and vegetables. For instance, grapes and apples have a natural membrane protecting them that’s completely edible. Once this membrane is broken or damaged, the fruit is exposed to the oxidative damage in the air. WikiCells packaging is intended on working in the same manner as the membranes protecting fruits and vegetables. It will consist of an all-natural ingredient or ingredients and be placed completely around the food, protecting it from the outside air.
There are some notable concerns with Edward’s WikiCell packaging, such as possible contamination. If stores place these food items directly on the shelves, common sense should tell you that germs will make their way onto the exterior of the packaging. However, Edwards has stated that consumers can wash the protective membrane just as they would a traditional piece of fruit or a vegetable.
Unfortunately, there’s no set date for the release of WikiCells yet, as it’s still in the developmental stage. With that said, the company has already garnered an impressive $10 million in funding to help kick-start their products. Edwards seems pretty confident that his WikiCells concept will take off in the consumer food industry, but like most things, only time will tell if it’s a success.