Potato, cassava and corn starch foam with chitosan coating

Thermoplastic starch (TPS) foams can replace expanded polystyrene (EPS) in food packaging. However, TPS packaging has great affinity for water. One way to solve this problem is to cover the TPS foam with a more hydrophobic material. Researchers at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil used chitosan as coating. Three sources of starch (potato, cassava and corn) were analyzed to produce TPS foams. Results showed that TPS foams made from corn starch are denser and have greater modulus compared to other foams. The chitosan coating decreased water absorption and increased the tensile strength. An article about the research is published in Progress in Organic Coatings.
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