Scientists at Southern Illinois University have pioneered a method to convert PET plastic waste and plant materials into edible food components. The process begins with grinding plastic bottles and plant refuse, which are then treated with water and oxygen at high temperature and pressure. This treatment breaks the materials down into carbon-rich molecules. Engineered yeast is then utilized to transform these molecules into proteins, fats, and organic acids.
Following this, the mixture is enhanced with starch, fiber, and a sweetener before being processed through a food-grade 3D printer, resulting in small protein-rich cookies known as µBites, or "microbites." To enhance the flavor, the researchers have also modified baker's yeast to generate vanillin from plant waste.
Although the scientists have praised the pleasant aroma of the cookies, they have yet to sample them themselves, pending approval from the university. The µBites were initially developed as part of NASA's Deep Space Food Challenge to explore food production methods for prolonged space missions. Although the technology is not yet ready for mass production—with the current cost of a kilogram of cookies around $60—the researchers anticipate that costs will decrease as production scales up. Would you be willing to try a cookie made from recycled plastic?
Informational material. 18+.
