A composite starch-date seeds extract based biodegradable film for food packaging application

The current work focuses on the preparation of biodegradable films from natural polymer such as starch modified by cellulose and chitin with incorporation of extracts from date seeds for probable application as food packaging materials. Date seeds which are widely available in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) were used to obtain extracts which are very rich in phenolic compounds. Composite starch films were prepared and analysed for their physical and chemical properties. It was observed that tensile strength of the composite films increased to 16 MPa when compared to the non-composite films. Biodegradability study was carried out by replicating ASTM D5988 which included soil burial of the prepared films at optimal moisture conditions (60-65%) and temperature (25-30 degrees C). The test suggested that the films could be easily degraded in composting soil by 5-7 weeks. Addition of extracts from date seeds to the prepared composite film imparted antioxidant and antimicrobial properties, which when used for fruit wrapping suggested that the freshness of the fruit was retained for a much longer period. Detailed analysis on economic aspects of the film production suggested the feasibility of the prepared films in term of cost.