Summary Reader Response Draft 4

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 new wrapper can be easily removed by rinsing it with just water. 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. Not only is the pullulan fiber coating non-toxic and safe to eat, it also has anti-microbial properties to help kill disease-causing microbes from getting into the food. With its superior qualities, the pullulan fiber coating should replace traditional plastic wrappers as it is sustainable, non-toxic, and anti-microbial.

 

An advantage that the pullulan fiber coating has over traditional plastic wrappers is its sustainability as it does not contribute to environmental pollution. According to the webpage by FoodPrint, after a plastic wrapper is used and discarded it usually either becomes part of a landfill or gets carried along by wind and water currents into the environment ("The environmental impact", 2020). The webpage by Chariot Energy mentions that normal plastic wrappers can take anywhere between 20 to 500 years to break down ("How long does", 2021). If left unchecked, plastic pollution would just keep on piling up until environmental preservation efforts are forced to be employed, which can cost a lot of manpower and money. The bio-degradable pullulan fiber coating, on the other hand, would simply dissolve into the soil after around 3 days (Jones, 2022). This means that even if the coated food is discarded improperly, the coating would just break down on its own, while the food would just rot. This saves time and manpower on environmental preservation efforts. This ability to dissolve after around 3 days is what makes it sustainable and environmentally friendly as compared to traditional plastic wrappers.

 

Another advantage the pullulan fiber coating has over traditional plastic wrappers is that it is non-toxic. A study by Harvard Health Publishing says that some chemicals can seep out of plastic and into food and beverages ("Is plastic a", 2019). A few of these chemicals can cause health problems like metabolic disorders and decreased fertility ("Is plastic a", 2019). Pullulan fiber coating, on the other hand, is non-toxic because of its naturally derived ingredients. As a bonus, pullulan fiber is edible. So, if someone like a child were to accidentally ingest the food without taking off its wrapper first, there is minimal risk of choking and poisoning compared to traditional plastic wrappers. The non-toxic property of the pullulan fiber coating puts it ahead of traditional plastic wrappers in terms of consumer safety. Additionally, the pullulan fiber coating is also anti-microbial, which helps to fight against foodborne illnesses. The pullulan coating contains two known anti-microbial agents, citric acid, and thyme oil. This helps to keep the food fresh for longer as it stops the growth of bacteria in the food. According to the journal published by the National Library of Medicine, some microbes are strong enough to survive on plastic packaging for an extended period of time (Siroli et al., 2017). This anti-microbial property of the pullulan fiber coating is essential for fighting off foodborne illnesses.

 

As great as pullulan fiber coating can be, it is not without its flaws. The biggest problem with the pullulan fiber coating right now is its very high cost of production, and it is the reason why it hasn't replaced traditional plastic wrappers yet. Pullulan fiber production can cost between 25 and 30 USD/kg, which is already more than most biopolymers available on the market (Farris et al., 2014). Traditional plastic wrappers are still cheaper to produce, and this is the reason why it's still used to this day worldwide.

 

In conclusion, the superior qualities of the pullulan fiber coating put it ahead of traditional plastic wrappers. Pullulan fiber coating is equipped to handle sustainability and disease-causing micro-organisms while being non-toxic to humans. However, due to its relatively high cost of production, it is not expected to replace traditional plastic wrappers anytime soon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

References:

 

Farris, S., Uysal, U., Introzzi, L., Fuentes-Alventosa, J., & Cozzolino, C., (2014, February 22) Pullulan‐based films and coatings for food packaging: Present applications emerging opportunities and future challenges. Journal of Applied Polymer Science. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/app.40539

 

How long does it take for plastic to decompose? (2022, October 20). Chariot Energy. https://chariotenergy.com/blog/how-long-until-plastic-decomposes/

 

Is plastic a threat to your health? (2019, December 1). Harvard Health. https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/is-plastic-a-threat-to-your-health

 

Jones, S. (2022, June 24). Spray-on, rinse-off food 'wrapper' can cut plastic packaging. Scientific American. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/spray-on-rinse-off-food-lsquo-wrapper-rsquo-can-cut-plastic-packaging/

 

Rai, M., Wypij, M., Ingle, A. P., Trzcińska-Wencel, J., & Golińska, P. (2021). Emerging Trends in Pullulan-Based Antimicrobial Systems for Various Applications. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 22(24), 13596. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms222413596

 

Siroli, L., Patrignani, F., Serrazanetti, D. I., Chiavari, C., Benevelli, M., Grazia, L., & Lanciotti, R. (2017). Survival of Spoilage and Pathogenic Microorganisms on Cardboard and Plastic Packaging Materials. Frontiers in Microbiology, 8, 2606. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2017.02606

 

The environmental impact of Food Packaging. (2020, November 13). FoodPrint. https://foodprint.org/issues/the-environmental-impact-of-food-packaging/