Eat Your Cake and Have the Plate Too

An industrial design professor from Canada has teamed up with chefs and dieticians to create some unique edible cutlery.

Diane Bisson, industrial design professor from Universite de Montreal, Canada, has teamed up with chefs and diet-icians to create some unique edible cutlery.

Q How did the thought of creating edible plates and cutlery strike you?

A I was picking up my son from day care when I became aware of huge barrels at the school’s entrance filled with disposable plates covered with half-eaten cake. It seemed excessive that such small children were creating so much waste. I thought what if the plate could be made into an integral, edible part of the cake?

Q How did you develop prototypes of these plates?

A About 40 recipes were developed from some 400-cuisine trials during the first year of research. I am now exploring 3D shapes for new approaches in plates and containers.

Q What are the materials used?

A I have used vegetables, beans and a variety of vegetable-based flours. Colour additives have been avoided.

Q What about commercial viability?

A I’ll start work next spring on refining products for a broader market. I hope to complete that within the year. I hope industries show interest.

cutleryDiane Bissonedible