by Cassie B., Natural News:
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- Scientists developed a method to turn plastic bottles and agricultural waste into edible, protein-rich 3D-printed cookies called µBites.
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- The multi-step process uses heat to break down plastic and plant matter, then engineered yeast converts the carbon into proteins and fats.
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- Lab tests confirm the cookies are free of toxins, but human taste tests are still pending approval.
- The research aims to address global hunger and plastic pollution, with potential use for astronauts, submariners, and disaster victims.
TRUTH LIVES on at https://sgtreport.tv/
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- Skepticism remains over whether people will accept food derived from plastic slurry as a substitute for natural, whole-food solutions.
Scientists at Southern Illinois University Carbondale have developed a way to convert discarded plastic bottles and agricultural waste into edible, protein-rich cookies in a breakthrough they believe could one day feed astronauts, submariners, or disaster victims. The findings were presented Monday by Sandhya Jayasekara, a graduate research assistant on the team led by associate professor of microbiology Lahiru Jayakody, at the American Chemical Society’s fall meeting in Chicago.
The project, which began in 2021, was initially designed for NASA’s Deep Space Food Challenge. The result is a small, 3D-printed cookie dubbed a “µBite,” which researchers are still awaiting university approval to taste-test. The intention of tackling food insecurity and plastic pollution is noble, but eating food derived from processed plastic slurry still raises real questions about how far we’re willing to stray from natural, whole-food solutions.
From trash to dough: More than 30 steps to make one cookie
The process involves more than 30 steps by the team’s own account. First, researchers break down polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic (the material in most water bottles) along with leftover agricultural matter like corn stalks, using intense heat, oxygen, and water in a process called oxidative hydrothermal dissolution to produce a carbon-rich liquid. That liquid is fed to engineered yeast strains, which metabolize the carbon into proteins, fats, and acids. Other strains add flavor and color — vanillin for vanilla notes, beta-carotene for an orange hue and vitamin A. Starch, fiber, and natural sweeteners form the dough, which is loaded into a 3D food printer, shaped, and finished in a microwave.
Lab tests are done, but no one has tasted a µBite yet
“We have comprehensively analyzed the food products we created in the lab, as well as through accredited third-party laboratories, to ensure µBites cookies are free from toxic chemicals, heavy metals, allergens, and food pathogens,” Jayakody told ScienceAlert. Human taste tests remain pending “simulated digestive studies and other necessary analyses,” he said.
