Banana pseudostem flour as a component of biodegradable semi-rigid materials

• Grant number: 24/18058-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: June 01, 2025
• End date: May 31, 2027
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Food Science and Technology - Food Technology
• Principal Investigator: Henriette Monteiro Cordeiro de Azeredo
• Grantee: Cassia Duarte Oliveira
• Host Institution: Embrapa Instrumentação Agropecuária. Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária (EMBRAPA). Ministério da Agricultura, Pecuária e Abastecimento (Brasil). São Carlos , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 17/22401-8 - Fruit-refinery: obtention processes, characterization methods and generation of products derived from residues of the fruitculture, AP.TEM

Abstract

The growing interest in replacing petroleum-based plastic packaging with biodegradable alternatives from renewable sources has gained prominence due to its contribution to environmental preservation. The use of flours obtained from agricultural and agroindustrial by-products may contribute to reduce the cost of materials, besides providing a noble destiny to the by-product. This work aims to produce biodegradable trays through the thermoforming process, using different concentrations of banana pseudostem flour. Moisture, ash, and extractives analyses, as well as lignocellulosic characterization of the flour will be performed and the characteristics of the trays will be evaluated, such as color, thickness, density, solubility in water, X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, in addition to biodegradability and mechanical properties tests, comparing the results with those of commercial packaging. It is expected that the developed packaging will be promising for future tests as options for packaging food, such as fruits, vegetables, among others.