“Stop using plastic straws, go for biodegradable options!” sounds familiar? But did you know that even paper straws (unless they are made from recycled forests/paper) are not sustainable. So then what are the other options? What about straws you can eat?
Before the invention of rice straws, many food businesses had started switching to straws made of vegetables, bamboo and paper in order to reduce the life-threatening risks that plastic straws posed. Fuma started producing rice straws in Vietnam, the country being famous for its numerous rice fields and wet rice culture.
An edible idea
Fuma’s rice straws are made from only two ingredients: rice flour and water. These ingredients are brought directly from the traditional Sa Dec village. Every day, 5 tons of rice are sent for making these straws. The rice starch gives them a smooth finish and a gloss, along with making it durable.
There is a factory in the Traditional Flour Village in Sa Dec where the rice starch making process takes place. The brand produces straws that adhere to the worldwide standard in the aspect of thickness and length: 20 cm long, 6.5 to 8 mm for the inner diameter and 6 mm for the thickness.
If ordered in bulk, Fuma also customises its size. They manufacture straws in different colours, ranging from green, purple to even black. The colours are all natural, extracted from amaranth leaves, purple radish, black sesame and beetroot. These rice straws can be stored in dry containers for up to 18 months. When used to drink cold drinks, their shape is retained for 2 hours and in hot drinks, it stays intact for about half an hour. Fuma’s rice straws are 100% biodegradable, odourless, tasteless and totally edible.
The Economical Option
Fuma acknowledges that the rice straws can be expensive for a small business that might not make as much profit as the multi-million enterprises, because of the efforts put into creating something uncommon. The company has a Type-2 rice straw that is exactly the same as the standard one. They are manufactured with the same ingredients and process. The sole difference between the two is that the second variety is not absolutely straight. The straws have a 10-20 degree curvature, which might not look “beautiful” but do their job well. This product is used to replace plastic straws in smaller outlets and has a much better price. Fuma Rice Straws have more than 50 large and small agents across the country and the brand exports to the US, Australia, New Zealand, Poland, France, and many countries in Southeast Asia.
The brand is OCOP (One Commune One Program) certified. In addition to the straws, the brand has been developing a natural five colour noodle product line. Customers will be able to choose from five basic colours – Blue pea, Gardenia seed yellow, Gac orange, Rice white and Camellia purple. The ingredients are all locally-sourced.
Fuma’s rice straws have reduced the plastic consumption in Vietnam considerably. Other countries are catching up too, which has a positive impact on the environment and people’s health. Have you switched to sustainable options in your daily life yet?
India’s Smaart Eats also manufactures rice straws. Read their story here on The Organic Magazine.
Also read: Switch To Sustain for more ways to incorporate sustainable products in your household.
