Development of sago-based edible plastic as primary packaging for instant food products

Abstract Waste has become a major problem faced by humanity in the 20th century. The use of plastic in various industrial sectors as the cheapest container option for packaging their products and the improper waste management practices have led to the accumulation of plastic waste. These plastic wastes have even begun to contaminate soil and water sources in the form of microplastics. Micro plastic particles have been found in various crucial ecosystems on Earth, such as soil, seas, lakes, rivers, and even groundwater. This poses a significant threat if micro plastics contaminate food and beverages. Exceeding the safe limits of plastic materials in the human body can lead to biological responses such as inflammation, oxidative stress, and even carcinogenesis. Instant food has become one of the rapidly growing food products nowadays due to the fast-paced lifestyle of the society caused by work demands. Consequently, the production of plastic packaging has also increased, as instant food products are commonly packaged using plastic to reduce production costs and product prices. Therefore, this research aims to develop edible plastic as primary packaging for instant food products. The study seeks to address environmental issues caused by excessive plastic usage, particularly in the food industry. This research focuses on different concentrations of sago starch (3%, 5%, and 7%) and the types of emulsifiers used (without emulsifier, 1% lecithin, and 1% CMC) as the treatment combinations during the study. The results of the physical characteristics test on the film (water solubility test, tensile strength test, thickness test, and water vapor transmission rate) indicate that using 7% sago starch concentration and 1% lecithin as an emulsifier yield the best physical characteristics.