Characteristics of Edible Film Elephant Foot Yam Starch with Calcium Carbonate as Cross–Linking Agent

Abstract

Edible film is needed as solution to reduce plastic waste. The elephant foot yam is tubers that are difficult to process because it causes itching, but it has amylose 24.5 %. The disadvantages of starch edible films are its hydrophilic, brittle, and high permeability, to improve adding CaCO3. This study aimed to determine the effect of elephant foot yam starch and CaCO3 to edible film characteristics. Randomized complete block design factorial was applied, the first factor was the concentration of starch [3 %, 4 %, 5 % (w v ^–1)] and the second factor was concentration of CaCO3 [0.2 %, 0.4 %, 0.6 % (w v ^–1)]. The interaction was very significant (( 0.01) on tensile strength, solubility, and Water Vapor Transmission Rate (WVTR), while in thickness was a significant (t 0.05). The starch had a very significant effect on thickness, tensile strength, solubility and WVTR. The CaCO3 had very significant effect on transparency, solubility and WVTR, while thickness and tensile strength (0.05). The best treatment was starch 3 % with CaCO3 0.2 % with thickness 0.086 mm, elongation 26.73 %, tensile strength 0.064 MPa, transparency 2.85 A mm ^–1, solubility 47.47 % and WVTR 23.8 g m ^2(–1) d ^–1.