Edible food wrap may sound strange to many people. When we eat wrapped rice, the wrapping of rice will definitely be thrown in the trash along with leftover food. Some people may separate food waste from the packaging, but surely, no one will ever sort out brown or white paper and laminated plastic. Not infrequently, this packaging ends up in the ocean which ultimately injures the animals and biota that live freely there.
So, have you ever thought about eating food along with the packaging? This innovation has been successfully developed by BIOPAC since 2010, making edible food wrap that is safe to consume. It mimics the wrapping of sushi, kebabs or shrimp rolls.
Introducing Edible Food Wrap from BIOPAC
Edible food wrap is one of the innovations in F&B industry, designed to reduce packaging waste, increase convenience in food preparation and presentation, and as a modern lifestyle that aligns with SDG 12, namely responsible consumption and production. The ingredients used in making edible food wrap should be safe for human consumption and not cause allergic effects. Edible food wrap should be handled and stored as food, especially for the worker hygiene and environmental sanitation and equipment. According to Allianz Market Research, the global market for edible packaging reached USD 1.10 billion in 2023. Common ingredients used to make edible packaging include seaweed and casein.
Casein is the main protein in milk, so it is conceivable that, if it is used as a packaging material, the resulting packaging will be very expensive. In addition, there will be competition with the dairy industry and its derivative products, and massive fire farming will be needed. This has a negative impact on the environment because belching and cattle farts are a source of greenhouse gases. Plus, other nutritional components in milk require research to be processed so they are not wasted and provide economic value. When compared with 1 kilogram of seaweed, the price of milk of the same weight can be 10x. Meanwhile, the casein content in cow’s milk is around 2.8%. So, it can be concluded that the use of casein as a bioplastic raw material is not feasible in terms of business and availability.
BIOPAC is the pioneer in manufacturing seaweed-based edible packaging. This innovation was initiated by laboratory research by the founder of BIOPAC in 2010 to reduce plastic waste pollution, which shallows the rivers, clogs the sewage and raises the risk of floods. Not only does this help preserve the Earth and oceans, but BIOPAC also prioritizes the welfare of coastal communities.