Biodegradable Films: They Do a Body Good
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 06.13.07
Now here's a story you can really sink your teeth into: scientists from the U.S. Agricultural Research Service (ARS) have created biodegradable, milk-based and biofuel-derived protective films. By combining the milk protein casein with water and glycerol, a biofuel byproduct, Peggy M. Tomasula and her colleagues at the ARS Eastern Regional Research Center's Dairy Processing and Products Research Unit in Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania, were able to develop a water-resistant, edible film that can be used as a glossy, transparent coating for groceries and other products.
They used carbon dioxide as a solvent to isolate the casein from the milk "instead of harsh chemicals or acids, which can be difficult to dispose of," according to Tomasula. Carbon dioxide, a byproduct of the glucose fermentation reaction used to make ethanol, helps make the film more water-resistant and biodegradable.
Tomasula and her team decreased the size of the CO2-casein particles, which are formed when the carbon dioxide dissolves into the milk, to improve the films' appearance and protective properties. Doing so made them more glossy and improved their ability to block moisture and oxygen permeation.
In addition to providing the usual benefits of food packaging, including protection from damage and exposures to moisture and oxygen, an extended shelf life and improved appearance, the films reduce waste, because they are made with renewable resources instead of fossil fuels.
Tomasula hopes that these benefits will help make biodegradable films an attractive alternative to more common, less eco-friendly, films.
Via ::Edible Films Made From Dairy, Biofuel Byproducts, :: New Uses for Dairy Byproducts
See also: ::Maple View Dairy: Building Trust in Local Production, ::Milk price sees a-maize-ing hike, ::Ethanol Produced From Cheese, ::Omniflex and DuPont(TM) "Active Layer" Films: the Waterproofing Alternative for Gear,
It's these little steps, isn't it, that make a big difference. You see it these days with people getting away from traditional light bulbs. And it's wonderful. Truly wonderful.
Cheers.
What the heck are the vegans going to do???
almost vegetarian -
If we're going to do it one little step at a time, we better take those steps faster.
Wow. The people who are allergic to milk are screwed. Milk allergies (and that'a ALLERGY, not lactose intolerance) are much, much more common than one might think, despite the efforts of the Dairy Advisory Board to keep it hushed up (seriously). Yeah, it's better than plastic, but a lot of folks are going to scrubbing everything they buy so they don't get sick.
The biggest problem with this situation is that milk will be in much higher demand. What do we need to produce milk? Cows. As we all know, raising cattle is very destructive on the environment not to mention another way to exploit and be cruel to animals.
Any info on how the film would react to pigments?
Are its properties as rigid as current substrates on the market?
I am afraid of the repurcussions on milk availability
to third world children.