Edible Packaging: A Sustainable Future for Bangladesh

What if we grabbed our biscuit packet to eat with our morning tea instead of the biscuit itself? Or what if we ate the water bottle after drinking from it? Sounds strange, right? But this could actually be the future!

Plastic waste is an urgent global issue that's hard to manage. Paper-based wrapping or jute shopping bags can offer temporary relief by reducing waste, but they do not address the root cause of environmental pollution. Imagine A kind of package that's environmental friendly, breaks down naturally, and can be eaten! Yes, researchers have made these kinds of food package things.

Cone ice cream is one of the most popular desserts, and the cone itself is an edible packaging material we consume without even thinking about it.. This shows that edible packaging is already part of our lives, and its acceptance is growing rapidly among people worldwide. But Is this beneficial for our well-being? Does it alters the food's nutritional content or its flavor.? To find out about edible packaging, we must know what it is and how it's created.

Edible packaging uses coatings directly on fruits and veggies, or films and sachets made from natural stuff like chitosan, aloe vera gel, starch, cellulose, and waxes. Research has proven that these coatings decrease post harvest factors , such as water loss, weight reduction, and color changing. Edible films sometimes have ingredients like antimicrobials, probiotics, or nutrients that stop bacteria from growing, and improve flavor to suit our taste preferences, and help us enjoy it better. Researchers have shown that they can make tasty film foods from leftovers like fish scraps and chicken parts that helps in waste management, solving multiple issues at once.

Edible packaging is used globally for fruits, vegetables, meat, seafood, and beverages; it's becoming more popular quickly. .In Bangladesh, edible packaging is still mostly limited to research projects. Studies indicate that chitosan coatings derived from shrimp shells can significantly increase the storage time of mangoes and guavas, which are crucial for the nation's economy. Exporters are becoming interested in this technology mainly because it's ideal for shipping goods to the Middle East and Europe.
Local businesses can use tasty coverings for their snacks and cookies. Bangladesh has plentiful resources like shrimp shells, poultry leftovers, fish scraps, potatoes, and rice, all great for making food containers.

However, some. Edible packaging materials that are sensitive to moisture make it hard to use them widely in Bangladesh's wet weather. Ensuring consistency in quality, safeguarding food safety, and lowering production expenses are major obstacles. Additionally, the cultural hesitation of “eating the packet” may take time to overcome..
Still, as Bangladesh has already banned single-use plastics, edible packaging presents a promising and sustainable alternative. If properly developed, it could reduce plastic pollution, improve waste management, and minimize post-harvest losses—all by simply eating the package itself!