Keeping the smells of onions, garlic and other stinky foods under wraps

The fetid smell of some foods makes it difficult to take them anywhere without offending others such as fellow train or bus riders. But tastes are growing more global, so scientists are looking for ways to transport and store reeking edibles without overpowering the senses of people nearby. They've tested some materials, but their success has been limited so far. Lennart Bergström and colleagues wanted to come up with a better packaging solution.

The researchers developed a film out of zeolites, which are microporous solids containing aluminum and silicon, and cellulose from wood. Testing the material showed that it could trap the sulfur-containing compounds often responsible for bad food smells. This adsorption reduced odors to levels below what humans can sniff out.