LiquiGlide: A Slick Innovation For The Food Industry
By Alec Italiano, contributing writer
A new, super-slippery liquid coating could help food processors and packagers reduce costs, boost sustainability
The frustration many consumers feel when trying to get ketchup to flow smoothly out of a glass bottle may soon be a thing of the past thanks to a new innovation. LiquiGlide liquid coating creates a super-slick surface within food packages that allows foods with thick viscosity — ketchup, mayonnaise, hot sauce, and jelly — to be poured out easily, all the way to the last drop.
LiquiGlide was created by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT) mechanical engineers working on an anti-icing agent for airplane wings. While the MIT engineers waited for LiquiGlide to be approved for use in aviation (a long process in the industry), they realized the substance could be applied to other industries, like food packaging and containers. LiquiGlide, like its name implies, is a liquid. However, its structure was developed to make it rigid while still maintaining its lubrication properties. It can be applied to a variety of materials such as metal, ceramic, plastic, tubing, and piping. Because of this range, the coating can be used not only in food products, but also things like cough syrup, glue, and paint.
The unique properties of LiquiGlide are even being applied to food manufacturing. Since it is made of all FDA-approved substances, the coating can be applied in processing lines — limiting clogs and cleaning time. This also reduces maintenance time as the easier flow of material reduces the risk of machinery breakdowns. LiquiGlide, as mentioned, was developed as an anti-icing agent, which makes it an ideal product for boosting efficiencies in cold processing and packaging products and systems.
The liquid coating also boasts many environmental benefits. Since the coating allows for less waste being left in bottles, recycling plants will worry less about left over contaminants while recycling food containers coated with LiquiGlide. The company’s website demonstrates estimated percentages of waste in different types of items where LiquiGlide is applicable. The website also details transportation savings and emissions reductions through smaller packages. LiquiGlide will allow manufacturers to package their products at higher concentrations, in smaller containers. This equates to smaller transportation costs and ultimately, a smaller environmental footprint.
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