09/03/07 Biodegradable wrapping discovery

USDA researchers came up with a new way to remove casing from milk by using carbon dioxide as a solvent instead of acids or chemicals. This environmentally friendly way to isolate dairy proteins from milk resulted in the creation of a casing based film that was very water resistant. Researcher Peggy Tomasula added surplus glycerol to the casing and ended up with a biodegradable protective wrapping for food and other products. TOMASULA "We think you can use it for coatings for food such as cheese to extend shelf life of other foods. They could be used to add color to products. They carry color beautifully. They could be used to add shine to Foods or even non-food type products or remove shine if that's the desired effect you want." They can be used to add anti-microbials to food to protect them and extend shelf life. They could also be used for time release applications, for time release for fish food." Tomasula says you could seal a food product inside the bag, drop everything into boiling water and film would dissolve away as you could cook your food. For dairymen the discovery could lead to another value added product for their industry. Voice of Idaho Agriculture Bill Scott