Characterization and application of starch/polyester packaging produced by blown extrusion

Abstract

All over the world, most of the food packaging is mainly petroleum-based. These packagings become worrying plastic waste due to use and disposal that includes accumulation in natural habitats. Thermoplastic starch/poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate has been investigated in the production of biodegradable films. Also over time, new forms of food packaging have emerged, such as active and intelligent packaging. Active packaging offers a solution to food quality. This research aimed to develop a biodegradable active packaging by blown extrusion for fresh bananas (Musa sp Cavendish cv. Nanicão) to increase the shelf life of the fruit. In this study, modified zeolite was used as ethylene scavenger and bromothymol blue and methyl red as ripeness indicators. Four treatments were processed by blown extrusion: perforated and non-perforated control films, perforated and non-perforated films containing zeolite (1.5 %), and the last treatment as control: non-packed banana. The films were characterized for water sorption isotherms, scanning electron microscopy, water vapor permeability, and mechanical properties. Bananas were stored for 7 days at 25 °C. Films with zeolite preserved the banana texture during storage time but were more rigid and less flexible. Further research is needed to determine variants that could make this alternative viable.

Keywords

• Intelligent packaging
• Ripeness indicator
• Postharvest
• Zeolite
• Banana