Shape-shifting pasta may sound like a weird concept, but it is exactly what some researchers in Israel have been working on. Israeli researchers are making an unconventional idea a reality, creating a technique that could see pasta take on 3D shapes after being placed in boiling water.

Professor Eran Sharon and Dr. Ido Levin of The Racah Institute of Physics at the head of the operation. They have developed a method to produce dried pasta sheets, which are “preprogrammed” to mold into a 3D shape upon boiling, according to a university press release.

A new ‘shape-shifting’ pasta has been developed to reduce #packaging. This ‘pre-programmed’ pasta transforms into popular shapes when boiled in water.https://t.co/Ln6SuvzFOq#SustainablePackaging #CPG #ProductDevelopment #Innovation@FoodNavigator

— AMC Global (@amc_global) April 13, 2022

The technology could potentially transform the entire pasta industry – and create change in every aspect of producing, storing and delivering pasta. “I think bringing dynamics and events of morphing and easily-implemented shape changes into the kitchen could change the entire environment of cooking and eating,” Sharon told reporters from the non-for-profit ‘No-Camels’ website.

This new method strives to reduce space-consuming packaging. The pasta is manufactured straight and flat-packed into small packages. When boiled, the pasta takes on curly shapes. This saves space for transport and storage and potentially means impressive savings in shipping and storage costs.

The creativity behind this revolutionary approach to pasta did not come from Sharon’s kitchen, but from his physics lab. With an extensive background in physics and a 19-year tenure at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem as a professor, Sharon has long been in the field of shape-shifting. Sharon and his team pioneered the study of shape-shifting solids – a process that has since become a common interest for many scientists around the globe, Sharon explains. “This was not known as a manufacturing approach, even 15 years ago, and this is what we developed,” he says.

No Impasta Here: Meet The 3-D Shape-Shifting Pasta Sheets https://t.co/qi5vbxzPqg

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“These days, the field migrated both outside Israel to different groups across the world, but also outside physics into disciplines, like design.” The team’s discovery is thrilling for researchers, as it has the potential to meet many needs of consumers and manufacturers. A recent study by British multinational packaging business DS Smith and Forbes Insights determined that 25% of what companies ship globally uses packaging that is far from optimal.

Shape-shifting in packaging has the power to save around $46 billion annually, according to DS Smith. “The global packaging industry is long overdue for innovation and Professor Sharon and Dr. Levin’s shape-shifting pasta can deliver a creative solution with a major impact,” said Dr. Itzik Goldwaser, CEO of Yissum in a recent statement.

“The ability to reduce shipping and storage costs, while also adding carbon savings that enable a rebrand pasta as an environmentally friendly choice is a win for everyone involved. We’re excited to help this project make the jump from lab to grocery aisle in the near future.”