A number of innovative engineers and designers have created various forms of edible packaging in an effort to reduce waste, and create functional packaging that has a symbiotic relationship with the food it holds.
WikiPearl, created by Harvard professor and biomedical engineer David Edwards is a durable but soft, water-resistant edible membrane that is made from natural food particles. The product is designed to protect the bite-sized portion of food encased within it The Guardian reports.
The company behind WikiPearl, Massachusetts based WikiFoods has joined forces with a US organic dairy business to create Frozen Yoghurt Pearls – a product that uses the WikiPearl technology to develop small ice cream scoop sized ‘pearls’ which are currently being sold at Whole Foods supermarkets.
“It’s important we don’t only look at this as a way to reduce plastics in packaging, but also in the context of how nature creates its own biodegradable packaging, like the skins of fruits,” Eric Freedman of WikiFoods told The Guardian.
Other innovative companies include Sweden's Tomorrow Machine who developed a series of packaging that dissolves with its contents, while New York based Loliware has created a range of edible cups made from agar – a vegetarian substitute for gelatine. Founders of Loliware, Chelsea Briganti and Leigh Ann Tucker say that they were inspired to create the edible cups due to their love for jelly.
“Our solution is to eat the cup, because they’re fun and they taste great, or just compost them. Either way, you’re contributing to the solution, instead of the plastic problem,” says Briganti.
It all sounds great, but of course the industry is aware of the psychological barriers that edible packaging pose to consumers, especially in relation to aesthetics and hygiene. Freedman believes that it is simply a matter of education.
“I would politely ask [any concerned person] what they do with their apples and other produce when they take them home. I assume they wash them. Which is what you can do with a WikiPearl,” explains Freedman. “Or what do they do when they take bagels, scones or muffins from the bakery racks? They use tongs or a piece of wax paper to place it in a container.”