Milk, **t plastic, will protect food in the future
 

Milk, **t plastic, will protect food in the future
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Much of the plastic packaging we see in*the grocery store can be recycled, from egg containers, to milk jugs, to butter tubs. But what about that thin plastic film stretched around*wedges of manchego in the cheese bin or the 16-ounce rib-eye in the chiller case?

It turns out that kind of plastic*is*tougher to recycle*and might even be adding harmful chemicals*to your food. Oh, and it’s***t even good at doing what*it’s supposed to do:*prevent*food spoilage.*

Luckily, researchers*are investigating alternative forms of food packaging—the kind you can eat.

U.S. Department of Agriculture researchers*have discovered that*a*milk protein called casein can be used to develop an edible, biodegradable packaging film.*The casein-based film is up to 500 times better than plastic at keeping oxygen away from food because proteins form a tighter network when they polymerize, the researchers found. It’s also more effective than current edible packaging materials made from starch and protects food products that are sensitive to light.* Read more...

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