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Wraps, rolls, burritos, shawarmas – the popularity of such on-the-go dishes has only risen and simply goes on to prove how we all prefer these quick bites over anything else due to our busy schedules, amid shuttling from place to place. These are all complete meals by themselves and don’t require a proper eating setup or cutlery. The only drawback, however, would be that the fillings often drop out of them the moment we take a bite. And guess what? Even that is being taken care of now. A group of engineering students from John Hopkins University has invented a simple solution to the huge problem of spilling out - an edible tape.
Edible ‘Tastee Tape’ invented by a team of chemical and biomolecular engineering students at the John Hopkins University tends to provide relief from the universal issue of food spillage from wraps and rolls. The tape can be used to seal the wrap or burrito and avoid fillings from falling out as you take a bite. As per the team, even the small piece of tape is completely safe for consumption. According to their official website, it is basically, "an edible adhesive comprising a food-grade fibrous scaffold and an organic adhesive." Sounds interesting, doesn’t it?
The company is said to have tested a wide range of ingredients to create a combination that would suit the purpose of being safe for eating and also have some adhesive strength. Tyler Guarino one of the team members of the project explained "First, we learned about the science around the tape and different adhesives, and then we worked to find edible counterparts." Tyler worked with fellow students Marie Eric, Rachel Nie, and Erin Walsh on the project.
How does the tape exactly work? The team have prototyped strips measuring half an inch by two inches, that come fixed on a sheet of waxed paper. To use them over burritos, wraps and rolls, one simply needs to remove a strip from the sheet, add some water to it and affix it to your wrap or Burrito of choice.
Image: THE TASTEE TAPE TEAM
While the tape is clear in colour, the team added blue dye to illustrate its use. Since the team is in the process of applying for a patent, they could not reveal the ingredients used in the making of the edible tape. "What I can say is that all its ingredients are safe to consume, are food grade, and are a common food and dietary additives," revealed Guarino.
The internet obviously had a field day, and most users were way too happy to finally get an invention ‘they have been searching for all their life.’ Take a look at how Twitter users reacted to this invention:
So basically, no longer worry about spillage and losing out on your favourite sauces and chunks, and you can now enjoy your meals mess-free with this amazing invention!
What did you think of the edible tape? Let us know your thoughts.
