Effect of Wheat and Oat Bran on the Physicochemical Properties of Edible Starch‐Based Films Obtained by Extrusion for Food Packaging Applications

• Published in: Starch - Stärke 2023-01, Vol.75 (1-2), p.n/a
• Main Authors: Ochoa‐Yepes, Oswaldo, Ceballos, Rocío L., Famá, Lucía
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Biodegradability; Biodegradation; Cassava; Consumers; Dietary fiber; edible starch‐based films; Extrusion; extrusion process; Food packaging; food packaging applications; Food packaging industry; Mechanical properties; Miscibility; Modulus of elasticity; Moisture content; Moisture effects; Oat bran; Phase separation; Physicochemical properties; Starch; Thermal stability; Water content; Wheat; Wheat bran
• ISSN: 0038-9056; 1521-379X
• DOI: 10.1002/star.202200087

Obtaining edible and biodegradable films for food packaging applications has been a strong desire of consumers, scientific community and industry for years. In this context, edible films from cassava starch with wheat or oat bran (0, 5 and 10 wt.%) manufactured from an industrially established process for packaging, such as extrusion technique, are investigated. Wheat bran is found to have a high content of total dietary fiber, being able to provide a nutritional contribution to the packaging and to consumers. Some broken bran grains smaller than 1 µm are observed, distributed quite homogeneously in the matrix and without the presence of phase separation, suggesting great miscibility between the components. Brans acted as reinforcement in concentrations of 10 wt.%, leading in thecase of wheat bran to increases of 850%, 45% and 25% in Young modulus, strength at break and toughness, respectively, and to decreases in moisture content. The incorporation of bran not significant change the thermal stability and biodegradation of the films. This investigation showed that biodegradable and edible cassava starch‐based films can be manufactured by a scalable process with possible improvements in nutrition and mechanical strength using 10 wt.% of bran for its potential employ as food packaging. The incorporation of oat or wheat bran to biodegradable and edible starch‐based films prepared by extrusion show possible improvements in disposal in the water and better mechanical resistance with the employ of 10 wt% of bran, being very promising for food packaging applications.