45D-12 |
Physical properties and packaging performance of edible films from peanut protein |
W. WELLS, JR. and B. WANG. Food and Nutritional Sciences, Tuskegee University, Tsukegee, AL 36088 Research on edible film is expected to grow because biodegradable film has the potential to reduce packaging waste and environmental contamination. One of the common materials for the fabrication of edible film is protein from various sources. Plasticizers are often used to improve the flexibility of the protein-based film. The objective of this study were to characterize the physical properties of the peanut protein film, and to evaluate the performance of the film fabricated with different plasticizers in preserving sweet potato cookie. A total amount of 5 g glycerol/sorbitol was used with their ratio varied to obtain the optimal combinations. A total of 8 films were prepared with all other processing parameters kept constant. The packaging performance of the peanut protein film was tested on sweet potato cookies over a thirty-day period with five different testing intervals. The film was evaluated for its breaking strength and displacement while the cookie was tested for its color, weight, and breaking force. The film with plasticizer of glycerol/sorbitol at a ratio of 4/1 had a breaking strength of 9.7 N and 26 mm displacement (p<0.05). The film preserved the color of sweet potato cookies during storage. In addition, the peanut protein film was able to maintain the firmness of sweet potato cookies. The results of this study demonstrated that the peanut protein film has the potential to preserve food products such as cookies. This may have implications on NASA’s future space missions for the astronauts to live a sustainable self-sufficient life.
Session 45D, Food Packaging: General
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