Evaluation of edible films as single-serve pouches for a sustainable packaging system

Abstract

This research aims to evaluate a sustainable alternative that allows reducing unnecessary plastic waste through the design of a packaging system for dry food. This consists of a primary package for single-serve soluble edible pouches and a secondary package to provide protection against excessive moisture and the necessary protection during transportation, storage, and marketing. Thus, the objective of this research is to assess a methodology that allows the design of a system that combines both, biopolymeric and synthetic materials taking into consideration the product shelf-life estimation. Instant coffee was selected as the dry food to evaluate due to its high consumption and popularity. The sorption isotherms of the coffee samples were obtained. The primary packaging was made from gelatin selected between starch and pectin. Tensile strength and heat sealing resistance were assessed. From the data obtained and thermodynamic analysis, the shelf life of the product was analytically estimated. The performance of the system was analyzed by simulating the daily consumption of 30 individual soluble pouches and a sensory analysis was performed to determine whether panelists could detect the presenceof the pouch. The proposed packaging system is suitable for packaging individual coffee pouches since it preserves the quality characteristics of the product.