Assessment of Prickly Pear Peel Mucilage and Potato Husk Starch for Edible Films Production for Food Packaging Industries

Agro-industrial waste, being biodegradable and environmentally-benign, is a sustainable resource for edible film production. Edible films were fabricated from by-products, prickly pear peel mucilage (PPM) and potato husk starch (PHS), and characterised for their physical–chemical properties. Various films were prepared by varying the PPM, PHS and glycerine (plasticiser) while maintaining a constant amount of vinegar (acidifying agent). Results showed that the formulation composition influenced the properties of the films. High concentrations of PPM and glycerine led to films with higher thickness, opacity, moisture and water retention capacity (WRC), and the percentage of water solubility (% WS) was influenced by the PHS content. All edible films presented very low water permeability (WP), and thereby good barrier properties. The WS, WRC and WP were closely associated with the PPM and glycerine contents. Consequently, the FTIR and SEM analyses showed similarities between the spectra and images. The preparation of edible films from agro-industrial wastes, along with their specific application in food packaging, especially for fresh fruits and vegetables, contributes to sustainable alternatives due to the recovery and reuse of the processing residues.