Four US engineering students came up with a great invention that will help many who struggle with eating a burrito, a product design that literally fell into their laps.
“Erin was eating a burrito, and the tortilla opened all over her,” one of the four, Tyler Guarino told CNN. “It hit her then — this is a problem that we can solve.”
Guarino, Erin Walsh, Marie Eric, and Rachel Nie who were seniors at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore when they decided to create an edible tape that could hold wraps and burritos together last year.
And today, the group is proud of their prototype product, dubbed “Tastee Tape.”
Guarino said they spent months studying “normal tape” and its elements — which is the backbone that holds its structure together and an adhesive that makes it stick to surfaces, with the intentions of finding their “edible counterparts.”
They had three main criteria for their edible tape invention: It needed to be clear and colorless, have no taste, and have no noticeable texture. After the group tested several combinations, they finally found their magic recipe, which happens to also be gluten-free and suitable for vegans.
“We tested about 50 different formulations” before finding the winning “Tastee Tape” recipe, Guarino says.
The ingredients used are a closely guarded secret because there is a pending patent application, but the team says the ingredients used are “edible, food-safe, GRAS [generally recognized as safe], and are common food ingredients or additives.”
There are three easy steps to do when using Tastee Tape, Guarino explains. The first is peeling a strip from the waxed paper sheet. The second is to wet the tape to activate it before finally applying it to your tightly wrapped tortilla.
The team’s current prototype has tape strips on wax paper, but the group also hopes to package it on a roll like ordinary office tape.
On Monday, the team graduated from college, with Guarino expressing how Tastee Tape’s journey 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 as 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’, and in that time, will continue working on the product.
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