Italian scientists have long been looking for a way to label every fruit and every vegetable with something that communicates the freshness of the fruit. And now they seem to have found the right direction.
A group of researchers from the Italian Institute of Technology led by Giorgio Bonaccini drew attention to children’s transfer tattoos made from a thin layer of ethyl cellulose, which is attached to paper with a water-soluble compound.
And they got the idea to make such tattoos – but only for vegetables and fruits! Scientists have used a similar technology to transfer electronic circuits to paper, the metal elements of which are made of silver nanopowder.
This metal is biologically inert. And about 4 micrograms of silver is spent on a schematic for one fruit. This means that such grocery tattoos are completely edible.
But while it is premature to rejoice at the opportunity to eat only ripe fruits, the researchers will have to conduct additional tests to make sure that the novelty is safe for the human body.