Researchers Turn Food-Grade Plastic Into Experimental Cookies

Researchers at Southern Illinois University have developed an unusual cookie-making process that starts with recycled food-grade plastic rather than flour or other conventional ingredients. The project involves breaking the plastic down into its component parts and using yeast to transform the resulting material into a foodstuff. According to Neatorama’s report, the researchers also used the yeast treatment with other plastic components to create sweetness and flavoring for the experimental cookies. The products are called “µBites,” pronounced “microbites.” Producing them currently involves 33 separate steps, although the researchers believe the process could eventually be housed in a portable factory. Potential uses for such a system include disaster-relief operations, wilderness travel and space expeditions. The researchers would still need to make the process work without gravity before it could be used in space, according to the report. There is one major unanswered question: what do the cookies taste like? No one has tasted the µBites yet, and the creations require further safety testing. The report does not state when they might be ready for human consumption, if that is ultimately shown to be safe. For now, the plastic-based cookies remain a research product rather than a snack available to the public.