Abstract
Plastics are widely used as packaging materials but can cause environmental problems because they are not easily degraded. Therefore, it was necessary to find alternative packaging materials that were easily degraded, including edible film. The main raw materials for edible film were alginate and plasticizers including glycerol and virgin coconut oil (VCO). The aims of this study were to determine the characteristics of edible films composed of alginate, glycerol and VCO and to determine the best concentration of alginate in edible films. The study was carried out through the manufacture of edible films composed of alginates at various concentrations (2, 3, 4, 5 and 6%), 10% glycerol and 0.01% VCO. The characteristics observed included thickness, tensile strength, elongation, solubility, and water vapor transmission rate (WVTR). The results showed that increasing the concentration of alginate increased the thickness, tensile strength, and elongation of edible films but reduced the solubility and WVTR of edible films. The best alginate concentration was 4% with the following characteristics: thickness, 0.12±0.01 mm; tensile strength, 1.59±0.12 MPa; elongation, 48.73±1.97%; solubility, 92.07±0.57%; and WVTR, 49.18±0.59 g/m2.24 hours. The various alginate concentrations significantly affected the thickness, tensile strength, elongation, and water vapor transmission rate of the edible film produced.
Highlights
The use of plastic is very broad, and Indonesia produced 187.2 million tons of garbage in 2015 [1]
Plastic is not degraded by the environment, either by weather, rain, solar heat, or microbes that live in the soil, causing pollution to the environment
Edible films made from alginate are one of the solutions to environmental pollution problems caused by the widespread use of plastic
Summary
The use of plastic is very broad, and Indonesia produced 187.2 million tons of garbage in 2015 [1]. Plastic is not degraded by the environment, either by weather, rain, solar heat, or microbes that live in the soil, causing pollution to the environment. Edible films made from alginate are one of the solutions to environmental pollution problems caused by the widespread use of plastic. In addition to having advantages, edible alginate film has disadvantages, such as the film is damaged when dried, has a poor ability to regulate water vapor migration, and has weak mechanical strength. This is because alginate has a hydroxyl group that is negatively charged; the bonds between molecules are weak [3].
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