ABSTRACT
Abstract: Starch, a biopolymer, is obtained from wheat, rice, maize, sorghum, sago, amaranth; legumes and tubers (yam, potato, sweet potato, taro, cassava); rhizomes (ginger, turmeric); fruits (green banana, mango, and jackfruit), and seeds. Because of its inherent properties, starch is widely used in food and other industries as well as for formation of biodegradable lms. The functionality of starch can be modied through physical, chemical, and enzymatic means. Modication changes starch properties and greatly extends the range of starch applications. Edible lms and coatings have received considerable attention in recent years because of their advantages over synthetic lms. Biodegradable lms with good mechanical properties can be used in place of synthetic packaging lms to carry food ingredients such as antioxidant, antimicrobial agents, and avours. The lms could be used to improve mechanical integrity or handling characteristic of food. The lms are produced exclusively from renewable, edible ingredients and therefore are anticipated to degrade more readily than polymeric materials. Production of edible lms causes less waste and pollution. Particularly, the use of starch in biodegradable lms could be an interesting solution because this polymer is abundant, cheap, biodegradable, and edible. The lms made of gums and other food grade modifying agents have proved to be better water vapour barriers than hydrophilic lms based on starch. These lms being transparent are most suitable for food packaging applications. Extensive research is needed for the development of appropriate cost-effective materials, methods of lms formation, methods to improve lm properties, and the potential applications.
