Scientists are developing edible cling film

Cling film is a wonderful modern invention for wrapping up our lunches with - but wouldn’t it be that much better if it was edible, too?

Good news everyone - scientists have finally developed edible cling film made out of milk protein.

And it’s not just a possibility in the distant future either - it could be available to us in just three years.

Despite its edible nature, it doesn’t keep your food any less fresh than traditional cling film. In fact, it does the job way better than the current stuff we buy in supermarkets - it’s apparently 500 times better than plastics at keeping oxygen away from food.

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As if that wasn’t good enough for us, it’s also super-environment friendly; it’s biodegradable and sustainable too.

“The protein-based films are powerful oxygen blockers that help prevent food spoilage,” research leader Dr Peggy Tomasula from the U.S. Department of Agriculture told Metro.

“When used in packaging, they could prevent food waste during distribution along the food chain.”

When it comes to eating the stuff, co-researcher Dr Laetitia Bonnaillie says that there’s also scope for adding flavourings, vitamins and probiotics to the new cling film:

“The coatings applications for this product are endless,” she explained.

“We are currently testing applications such as single-serve, edible food wrappers. For instance, individually wrapped cheese sticks use a large proportion of plastic – we would like to fix that.”

This article originally appeared on Yahoo Style UK

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