#wikicells

WikiCells edible packaging +++ nelly rodi ____

The innovator I've chosen to write about is WikiCells.  

BACKGROUND

WikiCells is a group of scientist and designers that stormed up the idea that if grapes, apples and such could be held by edible shells, then so can other foods. They have created edible membranes made up of other foods like pumpkin soup held in a spinach membrane. They also made other models like lemon juice in a lemon membrane and coconut sorbet in a mango shell. These are only a few of the edible shell harbored foods that were showcased at a Paris food conference.  

To get down to the science of things, "WikiCells consist of a natural food membrane held together by electrostatic forces and containing a liquid, emulsion, foam, or solid food substance possibly within an edible or biodegradable shell. WikiCells use special membrane technology that permits the fabrication of thin delicious membranes with significant water diffusional resistance and adjoined shells that allow for stability of the WikiCells over long periods of time" (Edwards, Ph.D 2012)

WikiCells first product sent out to the commercial industry was ice cream. It is was a chocolate fudge skin containing vanilla ice cream and a cookie dough membrane containing chocolate chip ice cream. The cells are also packaged in an edible/biodegradable box made from bagasse or tapioca (Arumugam 2012).

HOW IT WAS ACCOMPLISHED

This is an innovation because food wrapped in an edible shell, on a grand scale was only accomplished by mother nature.  WikiCells has created a platform for a vast amount of new food transportation and consumption methods.  

WikiCells was created by David Edwards, a Harvard professor, alongside other assisting scientist and designers. This was funded by Wyss Institute. To put the composition of WikiCells in a more understandable way, the first layer of skin is a soft skin like a prune skin. It is made up of three components, tiny natural food particles like fruit, nuts or seeds, a nutritive ion-like calcium, and a natural molecule like chitosan or alginate (algae). When you mix these three components together they form an electrostatic gel that keeps water inside the food or drink. The outer layer is the protective shell and can either be washed and eaten along with its contents or peeled off and used as compost as it is completely biodegradable (Spector 2012).  

IMPORTANCE

A majority of packaging is not recyclable and constitutes 32% of household waste  (Advances in Edible Food Packaging to Tackle Waste Management Issues 2013). Not only does this innovation make movements towards lowering or eliminating the problem of plastic containers, it also opens doors for new culinary methods. With other creations like a tomato membrane with gazpacho soup or grape membranes holding wine, it isn't crazy to say that these foods could have uses in a restaurant. WikiCell Machines are available to those who have the funds to purchase one and can produce entirely edible or biodegradable foods at your home, restaurant or business.  

PERSONAL THOUGHTS/REFLECTION

I can not provide any personal thoughts on this product as I have not tried it myself, but I am confident that I would enjoy experiencing it in the future. Although currently out of a majority of the populations financial reach, I believe that this new method of storing and eating foods has a wider potential of uses not yet seen. I believe this product only has a bright future head.  

References

Advances in Edible Food Packaging to Tackle Waste Management Issues. (2013, March 15). Retrieved January 28, 2016.  

Arumugam, N. (2012, December 26). Best Food Innovations Of 2012. Retrieved January 28, 2016.  

Edwards, D. (2012, January 26). WikiCells: Bottles That We Eat. Retrieved January 28, 2016.  

Edible food packaging can eliminate for plastic containers: US scientists

A new edible food packaging technology, that can eliminate the need for plastic containers, could hit the market inside 12 months, according to US scientists.

According to US scientists, the packaging – named WikiCells – has been developed to hold pumpkin soup in a spinach membrane, lemon juice in a lemon membrane and melted chocolate in a cherry membrane.

Professor David Edwards, a biomedical…

Back in 2009 Edwards and French designer Francois Azambourg began developing a new technology to eliminate packaging from foods. Called WikiCells, the edible soft skins are made from natural food particles that are bound together by nutritive ions. The goal was to reduce plastic waste while improving human health through portion control and vitamin-supplemented skins.

Wikicell

This problem has vexed Harvard scientists, who announced that they have developed a food packaging technology that could eliminate the need for plastic containers, and we could see on grocery store shelves in the next 12 months. Harvard professor David Edwards and designer François Azambourg have invented WikiCells, which encase various foods and liquids in edible membranes that function like the skin of a grape. They are “novel edible forms for eating and drinking transportable foods and drinks without plastic.” They encase various foods and liquids in edible membranes that function like the skin of a grape. WikiCells can hold gazpacho soup, hot chocolate, ice cream, yogurt—almost anything. The membrane itself is made of food particles—say, cheese or dried fruit—and held together by calcium or magnesium ions and alginate. WikiCells consist of a natural food membrane held together by electrostatic forces and containing a liquid, emulsion, foam, or solid food substance possibly within an edible or biodegradable shell. WikiCells could be used to protect otherwise vulnerable foods, then broken away like an eggshell when it’s time for the food to be consumed. Because WikiCells’ skin keeps water out and in it is possible to simply compost the “shell” and wash the inside as you would apples or peaches—making the total product more environmentally friendly.  

The team has already created a few imaginative WikiCells, including a tomato membrane containing gazpacho soup that can be poured over bread, an orange membrane filled with orange juice that you can drink with a straw, smaller grape-like membrane holding wine, and a chocolate membrane containing hot chocolate. For now, WikiCells would be a specialty item, used only by those who could afford and operate their very own WikiCell Machine. But in the future Edwards hopes they will someday be commercially available to the broader public

“The notion of Wikicells 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.” The soft membrane could be surrounded by a harder egg-like shell if necessary–something made out of chocolate, rock candy, or even algae. If that’s hard to imagine, think of it this way: a tomato and basil membrane that houses gazpacho, a chocolate membrane holding hot chocolate, or an orange membrane containing orange juice.

University of California food scientist Professor John Krochta has developed an edible food coating derived from the dairy by-product whey. He believes that the protection, which can either be a smooth, glossy coat or a thin, plastic-like film, can be used to make foods spoilage-resistant. It will reduce the amount of packaging needed and finds a use for a by-product that now ends up mostly in low value products or is thrown away. Manufacturers of edible film also have a selection of starches to choose from, including wheat, potato or corn.

Scientists at Oregon State University's department of Food Science and Technology have already designed an edible film made from natural ingredients that protects foods coated in the material from spoiling. The film can also hold vitamins and other nutrients within it to boost the nutritional value of the food. The scientists combined chitosan, a fibre found in crab and shrimp shells, which is also a raw material for nutraceutical products, and the protein from egg whites, lysozyme, to create an anti-microbial food wrap.

WikiCell Designs: developer of edible forms of packaging that enclose food or drinks in ways similar to how nature protects foods such as grapes, oranges, or coconuts.

by Robbie Reddy

Robbie Reddy is a guest blogger writing on behalf of Bibo Water, a new generation of home water coolers like Virgin Pure that provide environmentally friendly instant boiling and chilled water.

When it comes to design, nature is hard to beat - and with food packaging nature is no different. Can you think of a package more perfect than a banana skin or an orange peel? With millions of tons of plastic packaging adding up in landfills each year, it's time to try and replicate nature's designs with natural wrapping for manufactured food. Two new companies are currently developing fully edible and delicious wrappers for their products – a step in the right direction.

WikiCells - founded by David Edwards, a chemical engineer at Harvard - are currently working on products surrounded by soft skin that can be composed of an edible mixture of biodegradable polymer and natural ingredients. These ingredients include everything from chocolate to dried nuts and seeds. While currently still in the development stage at present, future products include a tomato membrane stuffed with gazpacho, a fanciful chocolate-flavoured skin filled with hot chocolate, and a wine-filled grape shell. At the moment WikiCells products are targeted towards food businesses and restaurants, but will soon make their way into supermarkets for the general public.

Another company developing edible wrappers is MonoSol, which has already produced water-soluble casings for washing detergent. They plan to use this same technology to create single servings of porridge, hot chocolate and other food items with no need to throw away the wrapper. In the future it's thought that this technology could be applied to packaging for everything from milk to yogurt, potentially doing away with the need for plastic packaging forever. This would be great news for the environment and consumers, as natural packaging is likely to reduce the cost of produce in the long-term. However, if you're not so keen on eating your bottle after drinking its contents just yet, Vegware and other similar companies are currently manufacturing fully compostable containers - a crucial first step towards eliminating the throwaway wrapper.