City’s first edible cutlery range out

The hazardous effect of plastic on the environment is well known. Over the years, various campaigns on plastic and zero waste have increased awareness among people about this ecological menace.

With an effort to reduce the usage of plastic, entrepreneur Shaila Gurudutt along with her ex-IBM colleague Lakshmi Bheemachar came up with the idea for Gajamukha Foods Private Limited — a venture that produces edible cutlery to replace the plastic ones. The cutlery is named EdiblePro.

“ The careless use of plastic is a serious cause of concern. With the expansion of the food industry — it has now become one the largest producers of plastic waste — we need credible alternatives to the plastic products used here,” says Shaila.

She highlights that depending on the size of the outlet, a restaurant uses approximately 1,000 plastic containers per day.

“The products that we make are zero waste and biodegradable. Even if you don’t eat it, it decomposes and turns into manure rather than leaving any harmful footprints,” she says.

The Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) - DFRL, helped and guided Shaila and her team to come up with the technology needed to manufacture the products.

“Lakshmi and I had a common intention, — apart from earning money, we wanted to do something for the society in our own small way. Starting a business that is environment-friendly was always on our minds. We hope we can encourage more people and restaurants to opt for edible cutlery,” says Shaila.

‘EdiblePro’ gives one an option to customise their products according to their taste and favourite flavours. “We use grains, pulses and millet to make the cutlery and use food ingredients of plant origin for flavour and colour. There are no preservatives or artificial colours. We currently make forks, soup spoons, ice cream sticks, bowls, plates and holders. They are suitable for all climatic conditions and can be stored for a year,” she says.

Shaila and her co-founder Lakshmi aim to make edible cutlery affordable and accessible to every household in the near future. They are now working on producing edible straws.

“Being rich in nutrition and fibre content EdiblePro is suitable for all. This makes them good breakfast supplements,” Shaila points out.

(Contact Shaila on [e-mail] to place orders for ‘EdiblePro’)