Edible silk design to extend shelf life of food is awarded
A scientist who developed a natural silk-based food protection technology has won the inaugural BioInnovation Institute & Science Prize for Innovation. Benedetto Marelli found that a thin layer of a silk-based film could protect food without the use of plastics and developed a startup to bring it to market.
The edible silk food covering was developed after a failed fondue experiment involving edible-silk-covered strawberries resulted in Marelli discovering that the treated fruits stayed fresh longer compared to the ones without the silk treatment. This led to further experiments where it became clear that the silk recipe could be used to extend the shelf lives of staple foods like leafy greens and meats while reducing the use of plastics.
“The development of new materials that combine performance with mitigation of environmental impact is an instrumental step to address the challenges that society will face in the next few decades,” said Marelli, who is associate professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
“A big step forward has been achieved by our showing that silk can be applied as a simple coating to fabricate a [thin], transparent and edible membrane that helps protect food from spoilage.”
Having developed this technology, Marelli co-founded Mori, named after the silk moth, to commercialise it. Mori has now raised almost $90 million for its silk-based technologies, with over half of that coming as part of its Series B1 funding. Its silk-based technology has been deemed appropriate for use in food in the United States and Canada, and various other countries recognise its primary protein, silk fibroin, as edible.
“Being able to keep food fresher for longer periods of time makes the shipping and handling processes more resilient for farmers, food manufacturers and grocery stores. My hope is that this can also impact food habits in US, promoting consumption of fresh, healthy food and addressing the societal needs to reach zero food deserts and minimise food waste,” Marelli said.
The BioInnovation Institute & Science Prize for Innovation is intended to recognise researchers working at the intersection between the life sciences and entrepreneurship.
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