Japan Develops New Packaging Materials with Microbial Microorganisms

Not long ago, Ajinomoto Co., Ltd. of Japan discovered a kind of acetobacter aeruginosa, a microorganism that can discharge fibers like silk, and found that such fibers can be made into food packaging materials.

Researchers will cultivate this microorganism in sugar solution, and the bacteria can synthesize colloidal cellulose fibers and then discharge them out of the bacteria. The resulting cellulose is very fine and the crystallinity of the fibers is very high. This type of fiber can be used to make paper sheets with high tensile strength and super strength. The tensile strength is about 5 times that of polyethylene and vinyl chloride films, which can be used as excellent food packaging materials.