Plastic and Agricultural Waste Converted into Cookies Using Yeast and 3D Printers
Developed as part of research initiated for NASA's space missions, this method allows more than half of the carbon in waste to be converted into nutritious food in just one or two days.
Scientists from Southern Illinois University have developed an innovative system that converts plastic and agricultural waste into edible cookies called "µBites" using yeast cultures and 3D printers.
The Process from Waste to Food
Southern Illinois University researchers broke down PET plastics and agricultural waste, such as corn stalks and leaves, into carbon building blocks using oxygen and water under high heat and pressure. The resulting liquid raw material was converted into nutritious food slurries using special yeast cultures.
The dough, obtained by designing different yeast strains capable of producing protein, fat, vitamins, taste, and aroma, was shaped in 3D food printers and then baked in a microwave oven to take the form of cookies.
Safety Tests and Areas of Use
In the study presented at the American Chemical Society symposium, laboratory analyses of the cookies named "µBites" revealed no toxic chemicals, heavy metals, or food pathogens. Tasting and safety tests of the food are still ongoing.
Developed as part of NASA's Deep Space Food Challenge, this system is aimed to be used in the future for Moon and Mars missions, as well as in challenging conditions such as deserts, polar regions, submarines, and disaster zones.