Could edible holograms decorate foods one day?
SHARES
Holograms are usually printed via lasers onto a metal surface, but the materials involved are not edible
Holograms are everywhere, from driver’s licenses to credit cards and product packaging. Yet it’s possible that holograms could soon be found on the food we eat. Researchers reporting in the American Chemical Society’s ACS Nano have developed a laser-based method to print nanostructured holograms on dried corn syrup films. The edible holograms could also be used to ensure food safety, label a product or indicate sugar content, the researchers say.
Most holograms are imprinted with lasers onto metal surfaces, such as aluminium, but the materials aren’t edible. For foods, holograms made with nanoparticles have been proposed, but the tiny particles can generate reactive oxygen species, which might be harmful for people to eat.