Better Than Plastic? Chitosan Touted as Alternative for Food Packaging
SEAFOODNEWS.COM [Reuters] January 16, 2015
Packaging made from recycled crustacean shells could reduce the need for plastic wrappings to preserve fresh vegetables, reduce oil consumption and give food a longer shelf-life, a Spanish study said. Chitosan, a bioplastic made by isolating organic matter from shrimp shells, helped preserve the shelf-life of baby carrots, said the study, published in the journal Postharvest Biology and Technology. "You can almost double the shelf-life of carrots with chitosan," said Koro de la Caba, a professor of Chemical Engineering at the University of the Basque Country, who wrote the study. "It is edible and better for the environment than plastics," and the coating can't be tasted, she said. Consumers could buy vegetables from a farmers' market and spray them with chitosan to make them last...
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