INRTU student Elena Kausheva proposes to create disposable dishes from pear pomace

Elena Kausheva, a sophomore at the Institute of High Technologies, suggests using disposable tableware with an ecological composition.

As part of the university competition "Vanguard Science", the student received grant support for the implementation of the project in the amount of 30 thousand rubles.

Elena is studying at the Irkutsk Polytechnic University in the direction of "Food from vegetable raw materials." She conducts research under the guidance of Associate Professor of the Department of Chemistry and Food Technology V.V. Tuturina Galina Gusakova.

The relevance of Elena Kausheva’s research is evidenced by the fact that from July 3, 2021, a ban on single-use plastic began to operate in the European Union. A complete ban on sales in EU member states includes plastic cutlery, plastic plates, straws and stirrers for drinks, some polystyrene products (glasses and containers for food and drinks), as well as cotton swabs and plastic holders for balloons.

The main Elena's goal is to offer a “recipe” for disposable tableware with an ecological composition. The development has a number of advantages: safety, renewability of resources, short disposal time without releasing toxic substances into the environment.

“Having studied the experience of foreign and Russian companies, I realized that this segment of the market is diverse. For example, dishes are made from starch and wheat bran. In cafes, restaurants and delivery services, edible dishes are actively used.

As the main component, I suggest using pear pomace. The binding reagents will be sodium alginate and glycerin. They are necessary for thermal reversibility, acid resistance and an increase in shelf life,” said Elena Kausheva.

Elena Kausheva intends to re-examine the physical and chemical properties of vegetable raw materials, evaluate the appearance and strength of finished products from pear pomace. She will then make laboratory samples and determine disposal methods. Convinced of the high quality of the dishes, the student plans to find investments and a site for the implementation of her project.