Researchers from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) have developed edible films that may reduce the need for plastic packaging while also being edible themselves.

The wraps look like a sheet of paper and can be made in a variety of thicknesses, according to Dr. Tara McHugh, a research food technologist with the USDA, who invented the wraps.

Lab studies have shown that the new wraps work as well as synthetic wraps for preventing oxygen from reaching the wrapped food, which causes degradation and food spoilage.

"Just from our studies we've noticed they really do help preserve the flavor," Dr. McHugh said in an interview with Reuters Health.

Although researchers have not scientifically tested how long the wraps last, Dr. McHugh estimates that they would have a shelf-life of about 6 months.

The wraps would work best in environments with little humidity because exposure to water dissolves them.

Dr. McHugh foresees that the wraps would be used to enclose food, such as fruits, vegetables, cheeses or meats, and then be eaten along with the food.

The wraps are made using a simple lab procedure.

• First, the fruit or vegetable material is ground up into a puree

• Water is added to make the mixture less viscous

• The resulting mixture is spread out thinly on a Teflon surface and allowed to dry

The 2000 International Chemical Congress of Pacific Basin Societies in Honolulu, Hawaii, December, 2000