Physic-mechanical properties of edible film based on taro starch (Colocasia esculenta L. Schoott) with glycerol addition

Abstract

Food packaging has substantial roles, such as product protection from microbial contamination, chemical pollution and physical harm. While environmental pollution caused by plastic packaging become concerning, hence there are innovation to produce films that are convenient to decompose. Edible film is a thin layer that serves as food protector, and barriers to the transfer of mass, such as water vapor, and oxygen. Taro tuber is one of the potential raw materials, which has high starch content. While the most edible films that made from starch have deficiencies alike high fragility, therefore plasticizers need to be added. Glycerol addition is more efficient in improving physical and mechanical properties such as tensile strength and elongation, because it improve flexibility, strength to against physical damage, and better transparency. This study aimed to determine the concentrations of taro starch and glycerol effect on edible film physics-mechanical properties. Randomized complete block design factorial (RCBD) with two factors and 3 replications were applied to analyze the data. The first factor was taro starch concentration (2, 2.5 and 3%) and the second factor was glycerol concentration (25, 30, and 35%). The results indicated that there were interaction between taro starch and glycerol concentration to the parameters of tensile strength, elasticity, solubility, WVTR and transparency. Moreover, the best combination treatment was 3% taro starch and 25% glycerol, with characteristics of thickness (0.15 mm), tensile strength (10.63 MPa), elasticity (60.21%), solubility (23.48%), WVTR (25.37 g/m2/24 hours) and transparency (2.23 mm-1).