NONIONIC, CATIONIC AND ANIONIC STARCHES ON THE PREPARATION OF FILMS FOR FOOD PACKAGING INDUSTRY

Research has been done around biopolymer-based food packaging to mitigate negative impacts on the environment as that promoted by the conventional packaging. Starch is an accessible polysaccharide founded in nature that can be used to create/make biobased and biodegradable films. This polymer also can be chemically modified in order to obtain films with different characteristics.The aim of this study was to evaluate the formation of films based on nonionic, cationic, and anionic starches. The films were produced by the casting method following the gelatinization temperature of each polymer. The temperatures of gelatinization used in the current study were 80° C for the cationic (Foxhead 5804) and anionics (Superion 3050 and Horizonte HC 50) or 90° C for the nonionic starch. The thickness, solubility, color (L*a*b* and opacity), and water vapor permeability rate (WVTR) of the achieved films were determined. The antimicrobial activity inherent using agar diffusion test against the microorganisms Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Penicillium sp. also was performed. As results, the thickness of films made from cationic starch was greatest as compared to the other films at a significance level of 5%. Staining results from nonionic starch showed a tendency of lighter (higher values of L*), more opaque, and with a reddish tone. Chroma b* results for all starches films displayed a yellowish tone with no significative difference (p>0.05) between then. No inherent antimicrobial activity was observed in any film. Films based on the anionic starch, Superion 3050, were shown to be highly soluble with a lower moisture barrier. Films based on cationic starch presented lower solubility content and high moisture barrier. The negative charges off anionic starches increase its solubility. All four film types displayed unique characteristics, providing packaging with different properties and the possibility of applications in a range of different food products.