A group of students from the Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology have successfully created edible food wrap from shrimp shells, crab shells, and guava leaves after two years of research.

The group won first prize for their research at Bach Khoa Innovation 2023, an innovation and entrepreneurship competition hosted by their university.

The group collected shrimp and crab shells from seafood processing companies and guava leaves from guava gardens to develop their food wrap.

Shrimp shells consist of chitin which can be converted into chitosan after being processed, according to Le Y Nhi, a third-year food technology major at the Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology and a member of the group which created the food wrap.

“Chitosan can inhibit many types of microbes. Extract from guava leaves is also antibacterial,” she said.

"As a result, the food wrap is antibacterial, has good oxidation resistance, and uses materials that are safe for people. However, the durability of the product should be improved."

The student group drew up a plan to survey material resources, solutions, and equipment for their research since their first year at university, said Dinh Thiet Anh, a third-year chemical engineering student and also a member of the group.

“This is a premise for us to confidently take part in academic and startup competitions, and put the product into use,” Anh said.

Two remarkable characteristics of the food wrap are that it is edible and antibacterial, according to Associate Professor Dr. Huynh Ky Phuong Ha from the chemical engineering faculty of the university.

"The group’s research can be expanded, specifically adding denatured starch to improve the viscosity of the food wrap and adjusting ingredients to meet the preservation demand for different kinds of food,” Ha recommended.

Like us on Facebook or  follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!