For most people's childhood, sugar must be an indispensable snack. Even if there is danger of tooth decay, it still cannot resist the sweet taste. Especially toffee represented by big white rabbits, that kind of rich milk flavor is unforgettable today. It is worth mentioning that there is a thin layer of clear paper between many toffee and nougat and the outermost wrapping paper. Presumably many people have been tangled about whether this layer of paper can be eaten when they first eat it.
Actually, this layer of paper is called glutinous rice paper. In fact, it is not made of glutinous rice and has no paper ingredients. Usually, glutinous rice paper is made from starch such as sweet potatoes, corn, or wheat. Starch is ready to be eaten. It will turn into a paste when made with water, and it will be made into thin flakes. It will naturally be salivated as soon as it is in the mouth. A layer of glutinous rice paper is wrapped on the candy to prevent moisture. After the toffee absorbs moisture, the hardness is reduced, and the outer packaging is deformed or even deteriorated.
Not only is edible paper, but even tableware has become edible in recent years. In 2017, three students from the School of Food Science of Southwest University developed edible chopsticks and spoons, which are essentially compressed biscuits made of enoki mushroom powder, sorghum powder, flour and so on. In August of the same year, Japan's Marubeni Corporation introduced an edible chopsticks based on rush grass. Each pair of chopsticks is equivalent to the amount of dietary fiber in a plate of vegetable salad. In addition, in order to improve its taste, plates with flavors such as fresh shrimp, onion, and grilled corn have been developed. A Polish company has also developed a wheat bran dinner plate that can be naturally degraded or even eaten, although the taste is not very good.
There are many more edible items, such as edible toothpaste and edible nail polish, but these edible products are designed for human health considerations, and edible tableware is not only healthier in terms of raw materials, but also its largest The meaning is environmental protection. With the development of takeaway, the use of disposable tableware has increased rapidly, and the amount of plastic waste has also increased exponentially, causing serious pollution to the environment. Degradable edible tableware, even if discarded, can degrade naturally within two weeks.
In recent years, with the increase of people's awareness of environmental protection, the market for edible and degradable tableware has gradually expanded. Although the price of edible tableware is currently 10 times that of plastic tableware, with the expansion of sales scale and the improvement of production technology, the price will not only decrease, but the taste will also be more delicious, and people are willing to spend more for environmental protection.
I also allow the promotion of edible tableware not to prevent one-time pollution from the source. Maybe this is just a gimmick for businesses, but it can indeed reduce one-time pollution to a large extent. In any way, as long as it can contribute to environmental protection, it should be encouraged and promoted.