London (CNN) — 4 US engineering college students had been brainstorming the right invention for his or her product design course, when lunch inspiration — actually — fell into their laps.
“Erin was consuming a burrito and the tortilla opened throughout her,” one of many 4, Tyler Guarino tells CNN. “It hit her then — this can be a downside that we will remedy.”
Guarino, Erin Walsh, Marie Eric and Rachel Nie had been seniors at Johns Hopkins College in Baltimore after they launched into their mission to create an edible tape that might maintain wraps and burritos collectively final 12 months.
Immediately, they’re happy with their prototype product, dubbed “Tastee Tape.”
Guarino mentioned the staff spent months finding out “regular tape” and the weather it consists of — a spine that holds its construction collectively and an adhesive that makes it stick with surfaces — to attempt to discover their “edible counterparts.”
They’d three predominant standards for his or her tape: It wanted to be clear and colorless, haven’t any style and no noticeable texture. After testing varied combos, they hit on the magic recipe, which can also be gluten free and appropriate for vegans.
Tastee Tape is clear and colorless.
Tyler Guarino
“We examined about 50 totally different formulations” earlier than discovering the successful “Tastee Tape” recipe, Guarino says.
The precise elements are a intently guarded secret as a consequence of a pending patent software, however the staff says every little thing used is “edible, meals protected, GRAS [generally recognized as safe], and are frequent meals elements or components.”
There are three easy steps to utilizing Tastee Tape, Guarino explains. The primary is peeling a strip from its waxed paper sheet. Subsequent, is wetting it to activate the tape, earlier than lastly, making use of it to your tightly wrapped tortilla with strain.
The staff’s present prototype consists of tape strips on wax paper, however in addition they hope to package deal it on a roll like odd workplace tape.
On Monday, the staff graduated from faculty with Guarino expressing how Tastee Tape’s journey so far has been “actually thrilling.”
“We’ve realized a lot about product design, prototyping, and patenting. We’re all actually grateful that we had this chance earlier than we graduated because it has taught us so many invaluable abilities,” he mentioned, including that he and teammate Marie Eric could be staying on one other 12 months at JHU to finish a Masters’, and in that point, will proceed engaged on the product.
Prime picture: Tastee Tape dyed blue for visibility. The precise tape is colorless. Credit score: Tyler Guarino
