In the U.S. alone we use 12 to 15 billion pounds of food packaging film annually, but less than 5% is recycled. Moreover, these plastic films contain PFAS (aka, “forever chemicals”) that leach into foods and have been linked to serious health risks. So far, sustainable alternatives to petrochemical film are either too expensive or lack the barrier properties of plastic.  

Tastee Tape is developing edible, compostable, biodegradable packaging film that can preserve foods without harming people or the planet. Their patent-pending blend of plant fibers is strong and moisture proof, making it ideal for food safety. While existing plant films cost 5 to 20 times more than petrochemical films, Tastee Tape can be produced at cost parity with plastics. 

Founder Marie Eric was studying biomolecular and chemical engineering at Johns Hopkins University when she created Tastee Tape for a product design class. The goal was to create an edible tape that could prevent burritos from falling apart. It garnered coverage on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, NBC, CNN, and ABC and was named one of TIME’s Best Inventions of 2022. At IndieBio, Tastee Tape has reengineered that prototype burrito solution into a technology that could outcompete plastic, transforming how we package and preserve foods globally.