Edible Film Fabrication derived from Nagara Starch and Red Ginger Essential Oil as a Package of Instant Noodles Seasoning

Abstract

Instant noodles are very popular among Indonesian people. It is due to its cheap and easy to serve. Therefore, the consumption of instant noodles may increase every year based on the population. However, the increase in consumption of instant noodles has an impact on the plastic waste generated that will be caused pollution into the environment due to difficult to degrade. Edible film from Nagara starch with red ginger essential oil is potentially used as food packaging due to easily degraded and environmentally friendly. Nagara starch was synthesis from Nagara sweet potato which locally growth in South Kalimantan, Indonesia. Edible film was fabricated by mixing and heating nagara sweet potato starch with demineralized water until boiled, then followed by added glycerol, sorbitol and stirrer until homogeneous for 45 min. The obtain solution was heating down until 40 °C which afterward added the red ginger essential oil with varied concentration (0-1.5 % wt.) and mixed for 20 min. The film was casted and dried in oven for 24 h at 60 °C. All edible film with different red ginger essential oil concentration characterized by water resistant, water solubility, thickness, elongation, tensile strength and microbial test. The nagara starch edible film has successfully fabricated with addition red ginger essential oil and shows physical characteristics of white, slightly yellow, clear, transparent, thin and tends to be elastic. The result exhibits nagara edible film (1 % red ginger essential oil) has good characteristic according to water resistant (58.3 %), water solubility (33 %), tensile strength (1.84 N/mm2), elongation (17.9 %), and thickness analysis (260 mm). The obtained edible film was suitable for packaging instant noodles seasoning. In other hand, the presence of red ginger essential oil in edible film has critical role for maintaining the food from microbes due to it acts as antimicrobial agent.