Optimized process to produce biodegradable films with myofibrillar proteins from fish byproducts

Packaging plays an important role in maintaining quality over the shelf life of food. Thus, this study aimed to determine the best process conditions to create biodegradable films based on myofibrillar proteins from fish byproducts with appropriate technological properties: low water vapor permeability (WVP) and high tensile strength at break (TS) and elongation at break (E). In order to establish optimal conditions to produce the films, two experimental designs were employed. The Plackett-Burman fractional design used protein (C-p) and plasticizer (C-pl) concentrations, water bath time (t(b)) and temperature (T-b), film drying time (t(d)) and temperature (T-d), and amount of filmogenic solution (A(fs)) as independent variables, while the dependent variables were WVP, TS, and E. This design indicated the significant variables were C-p, C-pl, and T-d. Therefore, those variables were analyzed using the central rotatable composite design (CRCD) and later validated using the desirability function. The processing conditions to produce the validated film were C-p of 1.13%, C-pl of 35.96%, and T-d of 25.96 degrees C. Under those conditions, the values predicted by the desirability function for WVP, TS, and E were found, which confirms the models properly represented the responses.