Dissolvable fruitwash labels can clean food

A US engineer has developed a new concept in food labelling with the potential to deliver benefits to retailers and consumers alike.

It's based on a feature already present on the fruit and vegetables sold in supermarkets - the oval or circular peel-off labels fixed to their skins - but uses the same space to provide a new, innovative twist on traditional designs.

The labels essentially dissolve into an organic soap mixture which can then be used as a cleaning product, partly aiding in the removal of substances from the fruit or vegetable's surface, like pesticides and/or wax.

The so-called Fruitwash Labels are the brainchild of Scott Amron who, on his website, lists a number of plus-points associated with the technology, without divulging exactly what makes them work or what's in them. Resistant to water, the Fruitwash Labels can be treated as conventional labels if required but, as their designer points out, there's no need.

The Fruitwash Labels take away the requirement to acquire and use separate fruit wash treatments. While the labels resist water, they dissolve when rubbed. Prior to the fruits or vegetables passing into consumers' hands, though, they can function in the same way as a traditional label, displaying barcode information for retail stock-check purposes alongside the retail price.

The Fruitwash Labels haven't yet reached the production stage but Amron is presently seeking an investor to purchase a 10 per cent stake in the Fruitwash Label Intellectual Property.
Dissolvable Food Labels

According to Gizmag, he anticipates that these dissolvable, food-cleaning labels could make their market debut in around summer 2012.

"I've always been discontent with fruit labels and felt they could do more than just display product info and be difficult to peel off", Amron stated, in comments made to Gizmag. He continued: "We buy, wash and eat fruit. So, the wash step was the next thing the label should help with."

"[The] best thing is the labels help make the fruit cleaner. And, there's no label to peel off and throw away unless you choose to peel the label off and throw it away."




Source: Packaging International News

www.packaging-int.com