This edible sticky tape makes burrito collapse a thing of the past

WE'VE all been there. You're busy tucking into a burrito or a wrap, and the tomato slices slide out of the other side, the meat falls out onto the table and the mayonnaise drips onto your fingers... But now, a group of engineering students have found the ultimate solution: a kind of edible sticking plaster that stops all the contents of your sandwich from sliding out.

What if kebabs, wraps and burritos could be simply taped shut so that the contents of your sandwich stay put? You could finally enjoy all the ingredients in every bite -- and mess-free!

That's exactly the thinking behind a new concept developed by a group of engineering students at Johns Hopkins University in Maryland, USA. They're come up with a kind of edible sticking plaster that can be consumed with no risk to health.

Their innovation measures just five centimeters by a little over one centimeter. The adhesive effectively melts in your mouth and is able to hold in place any kind of sandwich that's supposed to stay rolled up as you eat it.

The students are currently in the process of filing a patent to protect their creation, which means that they aren't yet giving away too many details about how their burrito tape is made.

Still, one of the designers has assured that its ingredients are safe to consume.

The students have disclosed that this tape, which goes by the name of Tastee Tape, is made from a "food-grade fibrous backbone and an organic adhesive." The students used burritos as a baseline to test whether their invention really worked.

Their multiple tests involved finding the right ingredients that would allow the adhesive to stretch sufficiently without ripping, while also being strong enough to keep the burrito held closed.

The tape becomes sticky when moistened. Then, all you have to do is stick it on your sandwich and enjoy your lunch. Bon appétit!