Application of Pectin Extracted from Cocoa Pod in the Production of Edible Film

Cocoa pod is lignocellulosic waste which contain cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, pectin and other compounds. Pectin is a polymer of D-galactaconic acid linked by an α-1,4 glycoside bond. Some carboxyl groups in pectin compounds undergo esterification with methyl (methylation) to methoxyl groups. This compound is referred to as pectinic acid or pectin. Pectin in cocoa pod can be produced by extraction. The purpose of this research is to know the physical and chemical characteristics of pectin-based edible film from cocoa pod. This research is conducted in two steps. The first stage is the extraction of pectin from cocoa pod, and the second stage is the process of making edible film. Pectin extraction was performed by using 5% citric acid. The extracted pectin will be made into an edible film using glycerol as plastisizer. The glycerol treatments are 0%, 2%, 4%, 6%, 8%. The design used was Completely Randomized Design (CRD) at 5% significant level. The results showed that the addition of glycerol has significant effect on water content, thickness, color and water vapor transmission rate.