MUMBAI, India, April 17 -- Intellectual Property India has published a patent application (202631042643 A) filed by Jis College Of Engineering, Kalyani, West Bengal, on April 2, for 'banana stem-based biodegradable and edible food wrap for sustainable food packaging.'
Inventor(s) include Mr. Shubhankar Karmakar; Dr. Debasish Majumder; Mr. Prodipto Dhali; Dr. Shyam Sundar Santra; Sandip Maitra; Sayan Ghosh; Sanchayan Biswas; and Shaikh Taufik Uddin.
The application for the patent was published on April 17, under issue no. 16/2026.
According to the abstract released by the Intellectual Property India: "The present invention relates to a biodegradable and optionally edible food wrap film produced primarily from banana pseudo stem fibres and banana stem extract, intended as an eco-friendly substitute for petroleum-based plastic wraps. The banana pseudo stem biomass, generated as agricultural waste after banana harvesting, is processed through cleaning, fibre extraction, pulping, and purification to obtain a cellulose-rich slurry. The slurry is blended with natural binders such as starch, pectin, or edible gums to enhance film formation and mechanical strength, and with food-grade plasticizers such as glycerol or sorbitol to improve flexibility and handling. In an optional embodiment, hydrophobic agents such as beeswax or plant oils are incorporated or applied as coatings to improve moisture resistance. The mixture is cast or extruded into thin sheets and dried to form a uniform wrapping film suitable for direct food contact. The resulting wrap is compostable, non-toxic, and capable of biodegrading within 30-60 days under natural conditions. Additionally, naturally occurring antioxidant and antimicrobial compounds present in banana stem extract provide improved food preservation by delaying spoilage and microbial growth, thereby extending the shelf life of packaged food products. The invention provides a sustainable packaging solution while converting banana agricultural residue into a value-added commercial product."
Disclaimer: Curated by HT Syndication.
