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Descriptive Reflection: Formal Introductory Letter (Revised draft)

- March 30, 2023

Dear Professor Brad Blackstone, My name is Hong Xian and I am a student in your Critical Thinking and Communicating module. After going through a few seminars with you, I have a rough idea of what to expect and I look forward to learning more from your lessons. I graduated from Ngee Ann Polytechnic with a diploma in mechanical engineering with a minor in business. My interest in engineering started ever since I could pick up and play the guitar. As my skills improved, I became more interested in learning more about my instrument. This interest eventually turned into a hobby. I would occasionally modify and swap out the components in my own electric guitars. This act of modifying benefits greatly from technical knowledge that is found in engineering courses and so this is why made the choice. My greatest communication strength is active listening. I hate jumping to conclusions and forming opinions before knowing the full story. In general, if someone is telling me something that I know

Critical Reflection

- March 29, 2023

Module learning: During the first few weeks of this module, I set myself goals to accomplish before the end of the module. I set these goals to drive me towards becoming a better presenter and incorporate critical thinking skills to help me do so. During the subsequent weeks of the module, I have learnt to use the Paul-Elder critical thinking framework to help me analyse problems through the elements of reasoning and come up with solutions for them. For critical thinking skills, using the Paul-Elder critical thinking framework helps me understand the problems faced, analyse the data available and come up with the most appropriate solutions for them. Understanding the problem is the first and most important step, as this allows me to see the full picture of what I'm dealing with. Next comes the ability to link information available to me with my thought process, which allows me to analyse and come up with potential solutions to the problem. To better prepare for my presentations, I

Final Report Conclusion

- March 26, 2023

6. Conclusion In conclusion, pollution from non-degradable plastic and styrofoam food containers is an issue we can no longer continue to ignore. Alternatives such as a more environmentally responsible food container must be sought in order to preserve our natural environment. Technomancer aims to provide a design solution for Khong Guan Biscuit Factory, as well as its consumers, which allows them to continue enjoying their products while having a peace of mind knowing they do not contribute to plastic pollution. Technomancer focuses on providing a solution for two parts of the same problem, which is plastic pollution. The first part is the edible food container itself, and the second part is the external packaging wrapper to protect and preserve it. We found that although no such products exist in the market yet, there are similar products that share the traits as the edible food container such as the edible cutleries made by the company Bakeys. Just like Bakeys’ edible cutleries,

Summary Reader Response Draft 3

- February 12, 2023

The article “Spray-On, Rinse-Off Food ‘Wrapper’ Can Cut Plastic Packaging”, (Jones, 2022) introduced a new kind of wrapper that can be sprayed on fruits and vegetables. Food packaging is important in preserving and distributing many kinds of foods, but it also produces plastic waste, which threatens wildlife and contaminates our drinking water (Jones, 2022). Jones also mentioned that the wrapper can be easily removed by rinsing it with just water (Jones, 2022). Because of this ability to dissolve in water, the packaging has little to no need to be recycled. This amazing new coating is made from an edible fiber called pullulan, which uses two naturally derived antimicrobial agents, citric acid, and thyme oil as well as a bacterially produced compound called nisin (Jones, 2022). Jones stated that all the ingredients are deemed fit for human consumption by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration based on the quantity of the ingredients used in their production (Jones, 2022). Not only is the

Summary Reader Response Draft 2

- February 07, 2023

The article ”Spray-On, Rinse-Off Food ‘Wrapper’ Can Cut Plastic Packaging”, (Jones, 2022) introduced a new kind of wrapper that can be sprayed on fruits and vegetables. Food packaging is important in preserving and distributing many kinds of foods, but it also produces plastic waste, which threatens wildlife and contaminates our drinking water (Jones, 2022). Jones also mentioned that the wrapper can be easily removed by rinsing it with just water (Jones, 2022). Because of this ability to dissolve in water, the packaging has little to no need to be recycled. This amazing new coating is made from an edible fiber called pullulan, which uses two naturally derived antimicrobial agents, citric acid, and thyme oil as well as a bacterially produced compound called nisin (Jones, 2022). Jones stated that all of the ingredients are deemed fit for human consumption by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration based on the number of ingredients used in their production (Jones, 2022). Not only is the pu

Summary Reader Response Draft 1

- February 05, 2023

The article ”Spray-On, Rinse-Off Food ‘Wrapper’ Can Cut Plastic Packaging”, (Jones, 2022) introduced a new kind of wrapper that can be sprayed on produce such as fruits and vegetables. Food packaging is important in preserving and distributing many kinds of foods but it also produces plastic waste which threatens wildlife and contaminates our drinking water (Jones, 2022). Jones also mentioned that the wrapper can be easily removed by rinsing it with just water (Jones, 2022). Because of this ability to dissolve in water, the packaging has little to no need to be recycled. This amazing new coating is made from an edible fiber called pullulan which uses naturally derived antimicrobial agents, citric acid, and thyme oil as well as a bacterially produced compound called nisin (Jones, 2022). Jones stated that all of the ingredients are deemed fit for human consumption by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration based on the number of ingredients they contain (Jones, 2022). Not only is the pullu

Summary Draft 2

- January 31, 2023

According to the journal published by the National Library of Medicine, “Pullulan fiber is a linear polymer that is made up of maltotriose units connected to each other by α-(1,6) glycosidic bonds, which gives pullulan the distinct physical properties to form transparent, strong, low-permeability, and water-soluble films” (Tong, Xiao, Lim, 2013). Pullulan is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to be safe as it is derived naturally. The ingredients of pullulan consist of citric acid, thyme oil, and a compound produced bacterially called nisin. In the amount that is used to produce pullulan, the ingredients are deemed generally safe for human consumption. Compared to traditional plastic food wrappers, pullulan food coating does not contribute to environmental pollution. Since it is bio-degradable, it will dissolve in the soil after just 3 days as compared to normal plastic wrappers, which can take up to 450 years before it starts to break down. This is already a major advan

Summary Draft 1

- January 24, 2023

Food wrappers are important in preserving and distributing many kinds of foods. They are commonly used to keep food fresh. One caveat to it is that it also produces plastic waste which poses a threat to our natural environment. It does so by contaminating our drinking water and soil. “We’re seeing a tremendous acceleration in the demand for packaging alternatives as the unintended consequences of plastics become more visible, both locally and globally,” (Daly, 2019). Because of the new increasing demands for alternatives, researchers claimed to have developed a biodegradable and antimicrobial food coating made from pullulan fibers which aim to reduce food waste and foodborne illnesses from pollution. Researchers set the coating up against common foodborne pathogens such as E. coli and saw a reduction of bacterial and fungal populations, which helps the food to stay fresh. “You can package the avocado at the farm and extend the shelf life, and then you can wash the coating away,” (Demo

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