Warren Watch: Could Heinz Ketchup bear fruit for Ford? Research underway (plastic from tomatoes)

http://www.omaha.com/money/warren-watch-could-heinz-ketchup-bear-fruit-for-ford-research/article_ba7310d8-608c-5eae-98b6-b28031e1b18d.html

Researchers at Ford Motor Co. and H.J. Heinz Co. are investigating the use of tomato fibers in developing sustainable composite materials for use in vehicle manufacturing.

In other words, dried tomato skins could become the wiring brackets in a Ford vehicle or the storage bin that a Ford customer uses to hold coins.

Ford recently revealed the partnership in an announcement titled “You Say Tomato; We Say Tom-Auto.” Heinz was acquired in 2013 by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway in partnership with 3G Capital for $28 billion.

“We are exploring whether this food processing byproduct makes sense for an automotive application,” said Ellen Lee, plastics research technical specialist for Ford. “Our goal is to develop a strong, lightweight material that meets our vehicle requirements, while at the same time reducing our overall environmental impact.”

FULL story at link.