Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Lifestyle
Hannah Devlin Science correspondent

Hard to swallow? The future of snacking may be 3D-printed cookies made from upcycled plastic

Jayakody smiles holding up a small 3D-printed cookie in a lab
Dr Lahiru Jayakody: ‘We thought: why not look into food? Plastic is carbon and food is carbon.’ Photograph: Rusty Bailey/SIUC Media & Communication Resources

Cookies produced from upcycled plastic may sound like something straight out of a dystopian sci-fi plot. But researchers say that they have succeeded in creating such a product as part of a Nasa-funded project aimed at feeding astronauts on future space missions.

The technology uses specially designed yeasts to transform plastics and agricultural waste into edible proteins, fats and flavourings. The resulting slurry is passed through a 3D printer to create a disc-shaped “cookie”.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.