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Edible electronics: Current landscape and emerging pathways
Mario Caironi1, Alessandro Luzio1
1Center for Nano Science and Technology, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Milan, 20134 Italy.
Journal of Materials Research
|February 23, 2026
Summary
Edible electronics, made from safe materials, offer a sustainable alternative to ingestible devices. Recent advancements pave the way for smart pills and food sensors, addressing health and waste reduction challenges.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Biomedical Engineering
- Sustainable Technology
Background:
- Ingestible electronics face challenges with biocompatibility and environmental impact.
- Edible electronics utilize fully digestible or excretable functional materials.
- This field represents a novel approach to electronics for internal and external applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To critically review recent developments in edible electronics.
- To reassess the future vision for edible electronic systems.
- To identify key challenges and opportunities in the field.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of recent scientific and technical progress.
- Critical analysis of existing edible electronic components and systems.
- Assessment of potential applications and future directions.
Main Results:
- Significant scientific and technical progress has been made in edible electronics.
- Concrete opportunities exist for edible smart pills for gastrointestinal monitoring.
- Food sensors for safe tracking and waste reduction are becoming more feasible.
Conclusions:
- Edible electronics offer a promising, environmentally conscious alternative.
- Challenges remain in reliability, manufacturability, regulation, and acceptance.
- Future research should focus on overcoming these hurdles to realize broader applications.
