Texture Analysis: A tool for developing new food packaging from byproducts (waste)

By-products and waste generation are having an impact on environmental, economic, and social sectors. 

 

To the environment, these contribute to GreenHouse Gas (GHG) emissions. Many of these biomaterials are not utilised and end up in municipal landfills where they create serious environmental problems due to microbial decomposition and leachate production. In some cases, the by-products are burned to remove fungi and parasites. From the economic point of view, the adverse impact is due to the costs related to the handling of solid waste in landfills. Moreover, the management of large amounts of different degradable materials poses a challenge.

 

However, there is an increasing need for biodegradable, environmentally friendly and functional food-packaging materials. In this regard, proteins obtained from agri-food industry by-products may become a promising and sustainable (less impact, valorisation) source of such materials.

 

Research into uses of Fruit waste

Agricultural production and agro-industrial processing generate a high amount of by-products and waste. Fruit by-products such as bagasse, peels, trimmings, stems, shells, bran, and seeds account for more than 50% of fresh fruit and have at times a nutritional or functional content higher than the final product. Fruit and food waste is also generated by damage during transportation, storage, and processing. The growing popularity of fruit juices, nectars, frozen and minimally processed products has also increased the production of by-products and wastes in recent years.

Scientists from the University of Aveiro (Portugal) have been investigating the tailoring of surface properties and flexibility of starch-based films using oil and waxes recovered from potato chip byproducts. Agrofood byproducts may be exploited as a source of biomolecules suitable for developing bioplastic materials. In this work, the feasibility of using starch, oil, and waxes recovered from potato chips byproducts for films production was studied. They used their TA.HDi Texture Analyser to perform tensile measurements on films according to standard ASTM D882. Potato chip industry byproducts were revealed to have thermoplastic and hydrophobic biomolecules that can be used to efficiently develop biobased plastics with improved surface properties and flexibility. Read more…

Researchers from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil) have been investigating the reuse of different agroindustrial wastes, including the incorporation of Pinhao and pecan nutshells into biocomposites using thermocompression, as part of the global drive to develop environmentally friendly material alternatives. They used their TA.XTplus Texture Analyser to perform tensile and flexural tests. Biocomposites containing pecan nutshells were found to present the lowest fracture stress and modulus values. However, the composites containing Pinhao nutshells had mechanical properties similar to the control sample. Find out more…

Research into uses of Vegetable Waste

Researchers from Tribhuvan University (Nepal) have been investigating the analysis of biodegradable films of starch from potato waste. The thriving use of non-biodegradable polymers has caused serious environmental problems and degradable polymers that are commonly prepared from renewable polymer sources have been paid more attention since the 1970s. In this study, starch was extracted from potato waste and peels to prepare biodegradable films using glycerol and sorbitol at various concentrations of dried starch, and the properties of films prepared with modification techniques analysed. They used their TA.XTplus Texture Analyser to measure the tensile strength and elongation of film samples, according to the standard method ASTM D882-02. Properties of modified starches were significantly different from non-treated starches. Read more…

Scientists from the Federal University of Technology, Paraná, (Brazil) have been researching cellulose nanofibres from cassava agro-industrial waste as reinforcement in PVA films. Cellulose nanofibres (CNF) have been applied in composite systems due to the abundance of raw material, excellent mechanical and thermal properties. In this work, cellulose nanofibres were prepared from agroindustrial waste and used in specified amounts in polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) composites. They used their TA.XTplus Texture Analyser to carry out tensile tests and an increase in the mechanical properties of PVA was observed with the addition of cellulose nanofibres. With 2.5% cellulose nanofibres in the PVA, the elastic module increased by approximately three times, with the addition of 10% cellulose nanofibres, a saturated system with poor mechanical properties was observed. Find out more…

Researchers from Fundación LEIA C.D.T. (Spain) have been investigating lentil by-products as a source of protein for food packaging applications. There is an increasing need for biodegradable, environmentally friendly and functional food-packaging materials. In this regard, proteins obtained from agri-food industry by-products may become a promising and sustainable (less impact, valorisation) source of such materials. This work investigates the suitability of lentil protein-based films for food packaging applications. Lentil protein concentrate was extracted from lentil by-products using a procedure patented by SICA. Protein films containing different plasticisers were produced by casting after denaturation and adjusting the pH of the protein solution. The effect of plasticisers on solubility, moisture content and the mechanical and barrier properties was analysed. 

They used their TA.XT2 Texture Analyser to perform tensile tests on film samples. Finally, migration tests were carried out. Plasticiser was found to have no effect on total soluble matter, although the moisture content increased in the case of glycerol. Films plasticised with sorbitol exhibited significantly lower water vapour and oxygen permeability and were also stronger and less flexible. Migration tests complied with current legislation in the case of isooctane but exceeded the legal limits for 95% ethanol. The results of this study confirmed that it is possible to obtain lentil protein films with suitable properties for food packaging applications from lentil by-products. These films may become a promising component of new biodegradable and functional food-packaging systems. Read more…

Research into uses of Fish Waste

Researchers from Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (India) have been investigating the synthesis of biodegradable films using gamma irradiation from fish waste. Substantial waste is generated from fish processing industries causing pollution and health hazards. Hence, synthesizing biodegradable film from myofibrillar protein dispersion of fish waste was attempted which may serve as “Wealth from Waste” – an eco-friendly initiative. Film dispersions were gamma-irradiated before casting and their physical properties were tested where film from non-irradiated dispersion served as control. They used their TA.HDplus to carry out tensile tests on film samples. The results showed the control had minimum tensile strength and maximum elongation at break whereas the irradiated samples had comparable values. Opacity with yellowness increased proportionally with dose. Find out more…

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For more information on how to measure texture, please visit the Texture Analysis Properties section on our website.

The TA.XTplus texture analyser is part of a family of texture analysis instruments and equipment from Stable Micro Systems. An extensive portfolio of specialist attachments is available to measure and analyse the textural properties of a huge range of food products. Our technical experts can also custom design instrument fixtures according to individual specifications.

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