Canadian researchers pursue bean bioplastics

In Canada, researchers at University of Saskatchewan have made a bioplastic meat wrap out of fava beans that also extends freshness thanks to infusion with antimicrobial agents.

Led by Michael Nickerson, Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food Research Chair in Protein Quality and Utilization, the team says the wrap is also biodegradable. “You could actually take this package and throw it in your garden. [It will] degrade really fast,” Nickerson told CBC News.

The team is now looking to partner with a packaging company to move the material from the lab to larger scale.