Bio - Styrofoam:
Nanocomposite Styrofoam With Peppermint Extracts Substitution as an Alternative
to Anti-Ant, Safe Environmentally and Friendly Food Packaging
Annisa Ulfah Pristya1)
1)Faculty of Agricultural Technology, Brawijaya
University
Food quality is a basic human need. Current complaints
decline in the quality of food as a result of contamination of insects carrying
germs. One of the efforts to prevent the food packaged in containers. Packaging
are widely used and appreciated by the public is styrofoam. Styrofoam is a
polystyrene that aren’t biodegradable and can have a negative impact on health
due to migration of chemicals in packaged foods. Moreover styrofoam doesn’t
inhibit the entry of insects, especially ants. Presence of ants on the food can
lower consumer acceptance of the food. To overcome these problems required
modification in order to produce styrofoam packaging that can be degraded by
natural and safe to use as food containers and has anti insects especially
ants. Starch is a polymer that can be described as a mixture of biological
allowing their use produces styrofoam packaging that is biodegradable and safe
for health. Starch used is waste corn cobs. To give effect to anti-ant, given
substitution peppermint extract of mint leaves (Mentha piperita) containing the active ingredient menthol and
menthone flavonoids. In order to obtain packing with adjustable power,
detainees tired, corrosion resistant, and has a power type is high then applied
to the manufacture of nanocomposite technology. Manufacture of nanocomposite
materials can be done with a simple approach to the complex and simple mixing
method. Best results are obtained by the addition of methanol extract of leaves
of mint 0,25 % concentration. In vivo toxicity tests using wistar mice showed
no indication of toxicity or side effects. Biodegradation test using Aspergillus niger shows the effect of
biodegradation in a few months. Faster than commercial styrofoam can be
degraded within a period of hundreds of years.
Keywords: Nanocomposite, Starch,
Peppermint, Simple Mixing, Styrofoam
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