The Food Plate is now being developed to be not only just something to serve food upon, but also an item that is edible, degradable and importantly, safe for the environment.

At the National Metal and Materials Technology Centre (Mtec), a group of researchers has worked with a research team from Thammasat University to develop what they call edible packaging to use as a new kind of disposal crockery, which leaves nothing on the table or in the environment.

Instead of relying on chemical substances to produce the disposal tableware, the team uses food-grade cassava root powder to create the edible packaging.

According to research assistant Phasawat Chaiwutthinan, the team has been seeking a suitable formula and process to develop disposal tableware form cassava root powder for practical use.

"We have studied the best formula to combine cassava root powder with water to produce the edible tableware. In the meantime, we have had to research a process to use heat and pressure to form the plates' shapes," he said.

After undertaking research for a year, the team has come up with an edible-packaging prototype in the form of plate. In the first stage, Phasawat said the plate could be used only for dry food.

For the next stage, he said the team planned to develop edible packaging that can be resistant to heat so it can also be used for hot food.

The team will search for an appropriate polymer which has heat-resistant properties to coat on the edible tableware.

"We have to find a coating polymer which is not only resistant to heat but also degradable and safe for people's health," he said.

As the entire production process must be done under food quality standards, he added that diners could eat the plates with no harm to their health. He said most people do not choose to eat the edible plate as it has no taste whatsoever. The research assistant said after the meal, instead of throwing the plate away, diners could grind the plate up and cook it for their pets.

As the development is aimed to make plates disposable, the team said the product would be degradable and dissolvable with nothing left in the environment.

In field tests, the team has found that its edible products dissolve within about three months.

The development of edible packaging is expected to offer people a new alternative to use disposal tableware that is no threat to health and the environment. It's also hoped that this kind of tableware will replace the use of existing chemical-based disposal tableware in the future.

pongpen@nationgroup.com

Pongpen Sutharoj

The Nation