Would you eat burrito tape?
Would you eat burrito tape?
Four US engineering students have invented an edible tape that could hold wraps and burritos together.
Tyler Guarino, Erin Walsh, Marie Eric and Rachel Nie of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore have dubbed their prototype product: “Tastee Tape.”
After embarking on a mission to create an edible tape that could hold wraps and burritos together last year, everything used to make it is “edible, food-safe, GRAS [generally recognized as safe]. Which means they’re all common food ingredients or additives. However, the exact ingredients are a guarded secret due to a pending patent application. Tenner bets it’s sugar-based, though.
They had three main criteria for their tape: It needed to be clear and colourless, have no taste and no noticeable texture. Then, after testing various combinations, they hit on the magic recipe, gluten-free and suitable for vegans. It remains to be seen, however, if anyone would eat it.
The results are rectangular strips two inches long and half an inch wide. Simply remove Tastee Tape from its waxed paper backing and wet the strip to activate its adhesive power. Just like the Scotch tape in your desk drawer. The product is clear, meaning you can add it discreetly to burritos and wraps of all sizes.
The tape looks set to hit the American market soon-ish (patent pending). But, alas, landing in Ireland is probably a while away.
There has been a mixed reception for the product online. Some people claim if you have to tape your burrito you don’t deserve to eat it. Others commented on the students striving to fix a problem that affects us all.
Twitter when they see clear tape burrito pic.twitter.com/7FtxqInsyO
— sawyer (@mushroombeing) June 2, 2022
On Monday, the team graduated from college, with Guarino expressing to CNN how Tastee Tape’s journey to date has been “really exciting.”
“We have learned so much about product design, prototyping, and patenting. We are all grateful that we had this opportunity before we graduated. It has taught us so many valuable skills,” she said, adding that she and teammate Marie Eric would be staying on another year at JHU to complete a Masters’.
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