Packaging potential of raw banana flour base composite film

Abstract

The study entitled “Packaging potential of raw banana flour based composite film” was conducted at the Department of Community Science, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, during the period of 2022-2024, with the objective of quality assessment and packaging potential of the composite film developed from raw banana flour.The study was conducted as four parts viz., quality assessment of banana fingers, processing of raw banana flour, processing of the film, assessment of the packaging potential of the film. Nendran bananas were sourced from a local farmer at Vellayani, Thiruvananathapuram. To accurately determine maturity, the bananas were tagged on the day of flower emergence. Fruits were harvested at 75, 80, 85, and 90 days post-emergence. For each maturity stage, green fruits were collected from the middle three fruits on the third hand from the top of each bunch. The study began with an analysis of the physical parameters of banana fingers across four maturity stages (75, 80, 85, and 90 days). Results showed that fruit length (22.32 cm), fruit weight (149.20g), pulp weight (81.25g) and fruit diameter (12.27 cm) increased with maturity, peaking at 90 days, while peel weight (50.75g) was high during 75th day of maturity. Chemical analyses revealed that moisture (59.41%), TSS (14.200Brix) and acidity (0.23%) levels were highest at 90 days maturity, whereas crude fiber (4.04%) and tannin (8.02mg 100g-1) contents were highest at 75 days. Nutritional profiling indicated that starch content (84.0%) was higher in less mature bananas (75 days), while protein (2.35g 100g-1), total sugars (2.81mg 100g-1), reducing sugar (1.03mg 100g-1) and ascorbic acid (2.13mg 100g-1) levels peaked at 90 days, showcasing the diverse compositional advantages of bananas at different stages of maturity. Banana flours were analyzed for their composition and functional properties. Flour from 75-day mature bananas exhibited higher starch (80.04%) and crude fiber (6.05 %) contents, while flour from 90th day mature bananas had higher moisture (6.01%), ash (1.92%) and protein levels (1.45 g 100g-1).Functional properties such as pH (5.82), bulk density (0.92g/ml), and oil absorption (1.11g/g) were higher in flour derived from 75- days of maturity, while foaming capacity (7.96%) and emulsion activity (1.90 %) were better in the flour from 90-day mature bananas. Composite films were produced using combinations of banana flour, glycerine, and water, with three formulations for each maturity stage. Seventy five days of maturity (M1), 80 days of maturity (M2), 85 days of maturity (M3), 90 days of maturity (M4) were the stages of flour taken. Besides, flour (F), glycerine (G) and water (W) were also incorporated. Five g F +15ml G + 80ml W formed T1, 8g F+ 15ml G + 77ml W formed T2, 10g F + 15ml G + 75 ml W formed T3. The films exhibited diverse physical and functional properties, such as moisture content, thickness, water vapor transmission rate (WVTR), solubility, and oil absorption. Consumer acceptability tests identified M2T2, M2T3, M3T2, and M3T3 formulations as the most preferred for appearance, color, odor, texture, and stickiness. The best four composite films, selected based on sensory evaluation, were used as candy wrappers and subjected to storage studies. The results showed no microbial growth over a 7-day period, more likely due to the antimicrobial properties of potassium metabisulfite (KMS) added during their production. This study demonstrates the potential of banana-based composite films as sustainable alternatives to single-use plastics. By utilizing raw banana flour, it not only offers an innovative solution to plastic pollution but also creates value from agricultural by-products that are otherwise underutilized. The findings contribute to the development of biodegradable and consumer-acceptable packaging materials, paving the way for broader applications in the food and packaging industries.