Would You Use This Slippery Substance on Your Food?

What do mayonnaise, maple syrup, honey, and ketchup have in common? We've all struggled to scrape, pat, and squeeze out every last drop from the bottles to no avail. That's why scientists have developed LiquiGlide, a nontoxic, FDA-approved coating that helps viscous substances quickly slide out of the bottle. The company estimates that people throw out bottled food products with 10 percent to 25 percent still stuck in the package. Over a year, that percentage adds up. "In the sauces market alone, if LiquiGlide was applied to every bottle, we estimate that we could save one million tons of food from being thrown out every year!" LiquiGlide boasts.

The edible, plant-based product has been tested on a variety of foods as well as packaging like glass and plastic, but it isn't available to the consumer just yet. LiquiGlide hopes to sell its technology to large food companies rather than to the consumer directly. This means you may start to see ketchup bottles with a tag that says something along the lines of, "Now including LiquiGlide for easy release."