New edible food wrap made of milk protein

The new milk-based edible food wrap film is stronger, safer and less stickier than a plastic bag. / Yonhap

By Yeo Ye-rim

A biodegradable film made of milk protein has been invented, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) on Aug. 21.

The film is a mixture of a milk protein called casein and citrus pectin. Pectin is a substance that turns fruits into jams and jellies.

The film looks like a normal plastic wrap. But it is less sticky and even edible.

“The purpose was to make a packaging that had zero waste,” Bonnaillie, a research chemical engineer with the USDA, told to CBC News.

The film is safer, stronger and much more resistant to moisture than a plastic wrap.

A small company in Texas plans to sell the new film within the next three years.

But there are drawbacks on the new product as some question whether the product is necessary.

“I doubt whether it is ethical to use milk to make food wrap while there are more than two billion people around the world that are starving,” says Lee Deok-hwan, a Professor in Sogang University’s Department of Chemistry.