Big changes could be ahead for packaging industry as supermarkets enter talks over new food bag technology
The packaging industry could be on the cusp of a small revolution after scientists revealed that a plastic bag that prevents bread and cheese from going mouldy has been developed.
Technology: Scientists have created new plastic bags for food
The bags use chemicals that stop bacteria and fungi from growing, allowing people to keep food for longer, and the companies responsible for creating the technology – pharmaceutical company Janssen and plastic manufacturer Symphony Environmental – are already in talks with food manufacturers and supermarkets.
Michael Stephen, director of Symphony Environmental, told the Telegraph: “We have come up with a way of making plastic that is antimicrobial and can be used in food wrapping.
“We’ve done a lot of tests on food packaging and it has been shown to reduce the mould that grows on both bread and cheese.”
In addition, Stephen said the technology may even be able to control the kind of bacteria that make clothes and footwear smell, and said trials were underway to see how effective the technology would be in man-made fibres.