Turkish scientists create edible herbal tea bags eliminating microplastic risks

Turkish scientists develop edible herbal tea bags without microplastic risk. With the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye (TUBITAK)-supported project developed by academics from Sivas Cumhuriyet University, herbal teas obtained from fruit and vegetable peels will be dissolved in water together with their bags.

Sivas Cumhuriyet University Faculty of Tourism, Department of Gastronomy and Culinary Arts Assoc. Prof. Dr. Emre Hastaoglu, together with Research Assistant Sefahat Tasci, graduate student Beyza Nur İlhan Akyel, and undergraduate student Busra Kocaman, developed a project that will provide "zero waste" in the food sector.

Explaining that they made water-soluble powdered herbal tea obtained from dried fruit-vegetable peels in an edible sheath, Hastaoglu pointed out that the product obtained from a material whose sheath is edible and dissolves in hot water eliminates the negative effects of microplastic.

"We have developed such a project in order to reduce environmental pollution caused by vegetable and fruit peels and at the same time reduce the use of microplastics in the bags in which herbal teas are used," Hastaoglu emphasized.

Source: Newsroom