Utilization of Eco-Friendly and Microfiber Wrapping Fabrics in Prolonging the Shelf Life of Ripe Banana Fruit

HAWAS, HAFEZ SAID HAFEZ ALI MOHAM; Zahran, Shaimaa M.esam

doi:10.21608/ejchem.2024.267969.9290

Utilization of Eco-Friendly and Microfiber Wrapping Fabrics in Prolonging the Shelf Life of Ripe Banana Fruit

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Spinning and Weaving dept., Faculty of Applied Arts, Helwan University, Giza, Egypt

10.21608/ejchem.2024.267969.9290

Abstract

Food packaging plays a crucial role in our lives because it protects foods against contamination sources and preserve food properties during the entire assigned shelf life. Banana is one of the rhizomatous plants and currently cultivating in many countries around the world. It is the fourth most important global food crop. Therefore, this research aims to investigate the relationship between different weft materials and the Functional properties of produced packing fabrics. In this paper, the fabrics that are used as an alternative to petroleum products are fabricated as a sustainable solution that aims to extend the shelf life of bananas during storage at room temperature. For this objective, five samples were produced using weave structure (twill 1/3) and five different weft materials (polyester microfiber 300/576, polyester microfiber 300/288, Bamboo, raw cotton and blended bamboo cotton yarn). Additionally, using bleached cotton 50/2 Ne as a warp with a mid-density of 36 warp/cm causes proper porosity. Mechanical, physical, and functional properties such as tensile strength, stiffness and air permeability, moisture management (MMT) of all the fabric samples were determined. And for more performance evaluation as a final product, fabrics have been wrapped around bananas as packaging bag, and then the experimental parameters on the bananas of the same bunch have been tested to show the packaging efficacy for the longest shelf life. Our finding showed that there is a direct relationship between produced wrapping fabric (S1) and decrease the weight loss of banana weight by percentage reached to (65%). The best sample performance for use as a banana wrapping fabric evaluated by radar chart is sample (S1) on its back, manufactured with (25% microfiber 300/576 den: 75% bleached cotton) which can prolong the banana fruit shelf life.

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