With landfills overflowing with plastic and so many environmentalists campaigning against the use of plastic, an alternative was the need of the hour. Plastic Food Wraps are used heavily as they come in handy and are available at very inexpensive rates. However, these wraps did heavy and long term damage to our environment. These facts aren't new to us. Unfortunately, very few people work to solve this. Not any more! A team from IIT-Madras is led by Professor Mukesh Dobleand Puja Kumari a research scholar of the Department of Biotechnology has found an incredible solution!
The creators had two objectives namely, solid waste management and food contamination during storage due to bacterial growth. This is a unique biodegradable wrapping material with in-built antibacterial activity to prevent bacterial growth in stored food. Especially, in the wake of the corona pandemic, this feature is highly attractive. What's more? The compound used to achieve antibacterial properties is to be safe for consumption as it is approved by the food authorities and does not cause any harm. It is made of eugenol, chlorogenic acid, betanin, curcumin, and gallic acid. These components are regularly in Indian food for their widely known antibacterial properties. In addition, they are healthy as they are anti-oxidants. These wraps films were developed by the researchers from Polymeric blends consisting of starch, polyvinyl alcohol, and cyclic beta glycans (CBG).
As for solid waste management, these food wrap degrades under various environmental conditions. The rates of degradation vary from 4 to 98per cent in 21 days. Thus, making them an environmentally friendly object. The wrapping material is known to degrade rapidly under humid and moist conditions as compared to dry ones. The food wrap is also approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA)!
We need more such innovations.
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