Packaging made from synthetic materials has barriers and mechanical properties that favor food protection and help extend its shelf life; however, it generates significant problems of accumulation and deterioration in the environment. This is why it has been proposed to replace it with biodegradable materials gradually. Biomaterials derived from starches and proteins have demonstrated strong interactions with natural compound antioxidants and strong potential for the development of active packaging. Nonetheless, further work is needed on methodologies that allow for their large‐scale development and the evaluation of their interactions and behavior when in direct contact with food. Hence, this study is aimed at demonstrating the viability of trays made from cassava starch and concentrated whey protein, processed by extrusion and thermocompression. It also evaluated their properties, including biodegradability and antioxidant functionality for cheese preservation. The results showed that it was possible to develop trays with a Shore hardness of 55.50 ± 0.39 to 59.44 ± 0.39, sufficient to maintain their physical integrity while fulfilling their function as food containers. Trays provide complete protection against light, with a transmittance between 0.01 ± 0.00 and 0.16 ± 0.04 % . They contain the antioxidants α ‐tocopherol and lachnanthocarpone, which reduce lipid oxidation in double‐cream cheese samples from 0.667 ± 0.028 ppm (mg/L) for 30‐day storage in commercial packaging to for 30‐day storage in trays with the antioxidant lachnanthocarpone, and with biodegradability between 82.66 % ± 11.27 % in trays with the antioxidant lachnanthocarpone and 43.84 ± 9.11 % in trays with the antioxidants α ‐tocopherol. This suggests that trays made from concentrated whey protein, cassava starch, glycerol, and antioxidants may represent a viable alternative to meet global demand for biodegradable packaging, which can be produced on a large scale using the transformation processes traditionally employed for synthetic plastics.
Granda-Restrepo et al. (Thu,) studied this question.