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MIT’s Non-Stick Coating Keeps Ketchup Flowing

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Re: MIT’s Non-Stick Coating Keeps Ketchup Flowing

#71

Post by muyuu »

codezero wrote: post #69
geuis wrote: post #67

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Its the remnants of ketchup and mayo that are the hardest to get out of a bottle. That's what the small amounts are demonstrating. You don't really have a problem getting the contents out of a full bottle.

I'll take your word for it since I don't have a bottle handy, but I am still suspicious. I have had issues getting ketchup out of a nearly full bottle because it's difficult for the air to flow back into the bottle as ketchup comes out.

Some of that effect will obviously still be there. Vacuum is not fixed by any coating and the liquid is viscous enough for bubbles not to easily form.

So yep, maybe it will need a tap or two at the beginning to make it flow.

Re: MIT’s Non-Stick Coating Keeps Ketchup Flowing

#72

Post by TeMPOraL »

rytis wrote: post #57
Alex3917 wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Knowing they FDA, they'll just ban companies from telling consumers whether or not it's in their products. Because if it's a medicine you might actually want to use, it's illegal unless you have $100 million dollars to pay for testing. But if it's something that can make food corporations money, not only doesn't it need to be tested but it's illegal for you to even know if you're eating it.

So this is never going to fly then. Why would a food company use this coating at all? It's not in their interest - wasted food means more money for the company.

> It's not in their interest - wasted food means more money for the company.

It's sick.

But I keep wondering - why no one in this industry seems to be trying to be good and use it as a marketing advantage? "We do not try to make profits on stealing from you by wasting materials and energy like everyone else out there". I'd definitely try to buy as much as I could from such company.

Re: MIT’s Non-Stick Coating Keeps Ketchup Flowing

#73

Post by whatusername »

troymc wrote: post #62

There are plenty of low-tech solutions that accomplish the same thing. For example: a ketchup syringe (but the "needle" end is wide, like those ends for decorating cakes with icing). Or a jar like a jam jar, which you can scrape out with a spoon. (Jam and ketchup are similar: mostly sugar, plus a bit of fruit.) There's a reason Heinz and others don't go with containers that empty 100%: such containers last longer, ke…

As said up-thread.. If you make it really slippery so that more ketchup comes out each time -- you also have a winner.

Re: MIT’s Non-Stick Coating Keeps Ketchup Flowing

#74

Post by DigitalSea »

quantumstate wrote: post #70
DigitalSea wrote: post #5

This is amazing. Now when I hit the ketchup bottle really hard forgetting it has a non-stick coating my plate can be covered in a whole bottle of ketchup thus making the ketchup company more money when I have to buy another bottle. I like hitting the ketchup bottle to get the last bit of sauce out, especially when I do it for my girlfriend. Now what chivalrous activity will I have left to do for my girlfriend? What's…

Too late, Duerr's have been selling them already. I was pretty impressed, they are genuinely easy to open. http://silvergroup.asia/blog/an-age-friendly-packaging-innov...

Manhood, fading. Must. Reclaim. Little. Manliness. Left. Ughhh!

Re: MIT’s Non-Stick Coating Keeps Ketchup Flowing

#75

Post by starwed »

mechanical_fish wrote: post #63
starwed wrote: post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The point of a patent is that you must disclose the method in return for a limited monopoly. It's to encourage the sharing of techniques!

So it is. Go find their patents and read them. Deduce what you can. The spokesman is under no obligation, legal or otherwise, to make this easier than necessary. That is how the game is played. Nor is he a lawyer, or foolish enough to issue an off-the-cuff statement that undercuts the work of the actual team that has crafted the wording of the patents.

Ok, but why are you replying to me about this?

I was trying to address kondro's obvious confusion about mikeknoop's point, not pass judgement on anyone in the article.

Re: MIT’s Non-Stick Coating Keeps Ketchup Flowing

#76

Post by rytis »

TeMPOraL wrote: post #72
rytis wrote: post #57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So this is never going to fly then. Why would a food company use this coating at all? It's not in their interest - wasted food means more money for the company.

> It's not in their interest - wasted food means more money for the company. It's sick. But I keep wondering - why no one in this industry seems to be trying to be good and use it as a marketing advantage? "We do not try to make profits on stealing from you by wasting materials and energy like everyone else out there". I'd definitely try to buy as much as I could from such company.

Capitalism at its best - it's all about profit and outsmarting the competition. There are companies out there that try to do the right stuff - organic food, healthy stuff, etc, etc. But they struggle. They struggle because 'the good stuff' costs more to produce, therefore they have to charge more. Whilst the 'bad' companies sell unhealthy stuff at a lot lower price, thus yielding better profits. Which in turn means better advertising, better position on shelves, etc. Society is not ready for the change yet. You would do the right thing, but I'm guessing 90% of population, just don't care.

Re: MIT’s Non-Stick Coating Keeps Ketchup Flowing

#77

Post by sdoering »

cicloid wrote: post #66
blhack wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My "secret" is to hold the bottle in my hand and swing my arm in a large arc, using centrifugal forces to pull the ketchup towards the mouth of the bottle. (With the cap on, obviously). SCIENCE

the only problem to this method is when it slips and the bottle ends up in the neighbors window.

The solution here would be, to just be careful.

Sorry, but coming from Europe, we have a bit of an understanding, that products can't be responsible for the "dumb" use of their users.

If a bottle ends in the window of your neighbor, is it your fault or the bottles?

Re: MIT’s Non-Stick Coating Keeps Ketchup Flowing

#78

Post by [deleted] »

sdoering wrote: post #77
cicloid wrote: post #66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

the only problem to this method is when it slips and the bottle ends up in the neighbors window.

The solution here would be, to just be careful. Sorry, but coming from Europe, we have a bit of an understanding, that products can't be responsible for the "dumb" use of their users. If a bottle ends in the window of your neighbor, is it your fault or the bottles?

[deleted]

Re: MIT’s Non-Stick Coating Keeps Ketchup Flowing

#80

Post by durkie »

schiffern wrote: post #61
durkie wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This effect could be achieved with a "standard" superhydrophobic coating (or superhydrophilic for oil-based condiments). Those can be easily done with something like a nanostructured silica film (without having to functionalize the coating with additional chemicals), and silica is a very common food additive (fumed silica is already added to ketchup in fact to alter its flow properties)

The problem is that even benign materials can have unexpected outcomes that depend on their nano-structural properties. Carbon is safe, but carbon nanotubes can form cysts [1] and cause brain damage in fish [2]. [1] http://www.nature.com/news/2008/080520/full/news.2008.845.ht... [2] http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn4825-buckyballs-cause-...

You're absolutely right -- there are some materials that would be very bad candidates here.

I was pointing out only that this can be achieved with structure only (no additional hydrophobic/hydrophilic chemicals), and that it can be done with materials that have already proven themselves inert when ingested in nano-scale particle sizes.

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