Plastic and agricultural waste transformed into edible cookies using high heat and pressure

Scientists have developed a new system that converts plastic and agricultural waste into edible food. According to the study presented at the American Chemical Society symposium, the developed 'µBites' cookies emerged as a result of research conducted within the scope of NASA's Deep Space Food Challenge.

Researchers at Southern Illinois University broke down Polyethylene Terephthalate plastic and agricultural waste such as corn stalks and leaves into carbon building blocks under high heat and pressure using oxygen and water. The liquid raw material obtained through this process was fed to specially cultivated yeast cultures and converted into nutritious food slurries. Within the scope of the study, different yeast strains capable of producing protein, fat, vitamins, taste, and odor were engineered.

The dough obtained by mixing various components was shaped in three-dimensional food printers and then baked in a microwave oven to take the form of cookies. While laboratory analyses reported that no toxic chemicals, heavy metals, or food pathogens were found in the cookie, tasting and safety tests are ongoing.

It is stated that thanks to the system, which is envisioned to be used in challenging conditions such as deserts, polar regions, submarines, or disaster zones, as well as future Moon and Mars missions, more than 50 percent of the carbon in the waste can be converted into food within one to two days.