There have been lots of recent examples of new research into colloidal silver and new uses for colloidal silver, including anti-bacterial glass in hospitals. Now researchers from Bar-Ilan University have developed paper coated in colloidal silver.
Colloidal silver is a natural anti-microbrial, that means it’s a natural antibiotic, natural antiviral, and natural antifungal. Coated on paper, it can be used in food packaging to reduce food spoilage by preventing growth of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, two bacteria commonly responsible for food-borne illnesses. In fact, the coating developed by the researchers killed both strains of bacteria in 3 hours, and they emphasized that the smaller the particle of colloidal silver the more effective it was as an anti-microbial.
The developers think the process can easily be done on a large scale since it’s a cost-effective technique for coating paper with colloidal silver. Colloidal silver could provide an alternative to older techniques for food preservation, including the use of toxic preservatives, radiation, and heat which destroys nutrients. Even foods that traditionally require refrigeration may be more easily available in poorer parts of the world once coating paper with colloidal silver becomes widely used.
How would you feel if food from the grocery store came coated in colloidal silver? Do you have concerns about current methods of food preservation, and do you choose alternatives (such as buying raw milk, or making your own food to avoid preservatives)?
