In tune with the recent trend of ‘going green’, a Hyderabad based startup has come up with an amazing idea of making ‘edible cutlery’. BK Environmental Innovations has devised ways of making edible spoons, forks, knives etc. using a mix of jowar, rice and wheat flour mix and markets them as alternatives to the non biodegradable plastic cutlery.
Marketed under the brand name ‘Bakeys’, the company has come up with additional ideas built on top of the edible cutlery. For example, they can add a splash of color to the cutlery by adding spinach (green), beet root (red) or carrot (orange) pulp to the product mix.
I think this is an amazing and ingenious idea and there’s a huge viable market out there. Of course, I havent used the cutlery myself so cant comment on how effective it really is. But if it works as advertised, I think these guys can tap into not just a national, but a huge global demand as well.
Sounded interesting, so I had a look at the website – they had some press coverage in *2006*, and there was a mention of deal with a large hotel chain. But it has obviously not taken off yet, so there must be a big catch – I guess it’s easy to make anything appear great on a website!
they seem to have a couple of paying customers.
http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/now-useeat-your-cutlery/357737/
Not sure if the “dual” use (cutlery & eatable) of this is going to make it an easy sell. People dont just buy cutlery for one time use unless its priced like the plastic types which I am sure this one isnt.
Why not just make edible crackers and sell them as such. Imagine expecting your guests to drink that clear soup you made using a beet-based edible spoon and urging them to eat the spoon too.
The one thing going for this product is the “fun” factor – so why not just target it for kids – great way for the parents to get their kids to eat their veggies.
I think this is not for regular home use. Its for classified use.
unmesh,
even if the guests dont eat the spoon, the idea is that the spoon will easily biodegrade if thrown in the garbage.
@rohan – “classified-use” ? do you mean “commercial” (doesnt help the bottomline) or “elite-use”? (they already have gold-silver ware)
@pranav – just being biodegradable isnt a compelling enough reason to buy this (as someone pointed out below – its more cost-effective and probably even environ-friendly to buy a stainless steel spoon and use it for years).
hey u people never change think of future
At first this was my reaction:
“Imagine how cheap it should be price because a family of three would need atleast 10 daily or 3560 yearly. On the other hand, a good quality stainless steel spoon that costs Rs. 5 per piece goes on and on for years. So, a family will not spend more than Rs. 10 per year on these spoons.
May be, we should have counted the cost of detergent saved by not having to wash these cutlery.
Also, can it withstand wet and hot foods like gravies, soups, etc? How durable are they to be carried in tiffins or other tight packages.”
The I thought again and:
I think they will be rightly used by places such as meals served on trains/planes, carrying to picnics, etc. May be it will also save plenty of water used on washing utensils.
And yeah, I want to see those pani-puri bhaiyaa making use of this. Its sick to see how he washes those utensils. Some use the scaled leaves but many still use those steel utensils which are washed in very unhygienic conditions.
hi Mr Rohan first u think of future b coz price is not imp.if u take healthy food its good otherwise there is no meaning….in this food there is good nutritionally very superior r aded.
first u know diff betwen Jwar&Rice then u realize
btw I just hope my spoon doesn’t melt down when I sipping my hot soup
Also, if I had some money, I would be willing to invest in this company.
btw, I will start playing in the stock market soon(for the past couple of yrs, was under training of mom
). If my startegies work and I get handsome returns, I will surely invest in this company(If I got that much money).
I feel this is a multibagger. Anyone agrees with me?
there is a positive and a negative to this…
positives:
1) plastic spoons trash disposal in picnic spots becomes easier. even if they are left behind like in most indian picnic spots, they would degrade and provide nutrition to the soil.
2) can be extended to diet versions and flavoured version to go best with soups and other food products.
3) grain food going into the body is nutitious.
negatives:
1) as pointed out by Rohan, Jowar, rice and wheat flour mix and baked to give that shape – the mixture mite not last for all kinds of indian foods at the various temperatures they need to be.
2) no ones spoken abt the cost of these edible cutlery… ?? still a debatable point
3) storage and distribution for mass consumptions mite be an issue + margins.
only time can tell.. personally, i would stick to my metal cutlery…
for (2), as I commented earlier – the cost will surely go down with volume.
the way i see it — their products are more targeted towards restaurants or cafeterias and other such places, which are more likely to carry plastic forks / spoons and stuff.
after all – i’m yet to see anyone use plastic cutlery at home on a daily basis. so, its still more of metal cutlery at home.
Living Green
Here is my advice to live green:
Always buy recycled paper for business stationeries and to use in printer. Never waste paper in printer or copying machine. Use printer that can print on both side, this helps to save paper.
This is what I call amazing innovation. Right thing at the right time. I am completely sure that this will take off and wish them the best of luck.
The discussion is good. Whatever it is, the innovative idea of having a biodegradable cutlery in place of the plastic disposables itself is very soothing. Especially in the scenario where we are rocked with flash floods and unpredictable climatic changes.
How about using the used edible cutlery as pet food / animal feed?
This is a bit fancy though…how about our age old kullars (used for tea in trains), i think they didnot harm the environments either… its just that, that particular thing needs some level of marketing
Hi Dear Sir/Madam,
We are the professional manufacturer of biodegradable cutlery: PSM and PLA cutlery. We have sold our products to USA, Canada, Australia, Italy and UK, especially USA. We have long-term and happy cooperation with our clients. In order to expand our business . We hope to begin our business with your company.
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Best
Suzhou Suyuan Bio-products Co.,Ltd.
Maggie Chen
T : 86 512 6863 8462
C : 86 130 9260 9803
Maggie@bio-sy.com
Where to buy this product? searched every where couldnt find their contact information
these are used during cocktail hour at an event when you want to serve 1-2 bite apps, do not want to serve food on plates, the spoon looks cute and takes the place of bread, cracker, crostini, etc… so you can hold your drink, eat your bite of food and the container, without having to juggle and then dispose of a plate.
Hi all,
Thanks for the comments and discussions. Yes. I am the one that makes these edible cutlery. There were a couple issues that i thought I should clarify – firstly, these have a higher proportion of sorghum (jowar), which is a hardy cereal. This therefore does not melt in hot soups. In fact, the soup tastes lkot better with these spoons compared to the metal and melamine wares.
The second point is very important – cost. I am working on this to ensure that I price my product as close as possible to plastic ones.
Now, it is not just spoons that I have designed. there are sporks, knives, chopsticks and even straws. I am trying to make any and every cutlery item using this formulation. By cutlery I mean any utensil used to lift food into mouth!!
There was one comment that this news was on way back in 2006. Yes. Indeed this idea was that old. I was a researcher with ICRISAT, from where I quit to set up this company and that was in 2006. Since then I was desperately searching for investors and someone did mention his interest to invest in my company. That was very kind of you sir. However, after three and half agonizing years, during which time I sold off my flat in Hyderabad and a home I had in Baroda, I have finally got an investor. Now, we have stopped the earlier production and have redesigned the entire product line and are in the process of getting the factory construction (10250 sft), fully automatic production system and a production process that is ISO compliant.
So there….. very soon, we would be back….
Meanwhile, if you want to talk I am available on =91-0-9393762080.
Cheers.
Narayana
hi mr Narayana Peesapaty
i am chris borg from malta (europe) and i am intrested in your edible cutlery ,if you could reply back on my e mail sinaw1@live.com to discuss matters on your product i ll be happy to recieve your reply.
regards
Dear Mr. Narayana Peesapaty
I’m really interested in your edible cutlery.
Could you send me your email where we could talk.
This is mine:
gaborszabosoft@gmail.com
Thank you,
Regards
I am interested in your product. Pls email me the range of products you have.
Dear Sir!
I am interested in your product. Can you please send me some closer information and conditions of cooperation?
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