It’s no secret that silver has serious value in terms of its industrial potential. Silver is used in a variety of industries, including solar, tech, and healthcare. Well, one of silver’s newest uses is apparently prolonging the shelf life of milk.
A Brazilian company called Agrindus, which focuses on agribusiness, wanted to find a way to lengthen the time whole milk could stay on stores’ shelves. In partnership with a nanotech company called Nanox, Agrindus was able to develop specialized milk containers that doubled the shelf life of milk.
Nanox used their knowledge of silver’s antimicrobial properties to create containers that would inhibit bacterial growth in milk. The company did this by combining silica ceramic particles with silver nanoparticles. The silica ceramic particles work to enhance silver’s antimicrobial properties. This silica-silver mix was then combined with liquid polyethylene to create the antimicrobial plastic that would be used for Agrindus’ milk containers.
After a year of testing and confirming the shelf life extension, Agrindus has made the containers available to dairy producers. The containers doubled whole milk’s shelf life from 7 to 15 days. The company hopes to expand its market to the U.S. soon and has already received approval from the FDA and is currently seeking EPA clearance.
The applications for silver nanotech go beyond milk containers though. Silver-laced antimicrobial plastics are currently being used in food packaging, toilet seats, shoe insoles, etc. There seems to be no limit to the industrial uses of silver!
Provident Metals closely monitors silver as its value changes with industrial trends. Buying silver is a great way to diversify your precious metals portfolio. With silver bullion now at a 5-year low, it’s a great time to add the white metal to your portfolio.
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