Sago starch has weaknesses such as low thermal stability and high syneresis. Modifications were made to improve the characteristics of native sago starch. In this study, sago starch was modified by autoclave-heating treatment (AHT), osmotic-pressure treatment (OPT), octenyl-succinic anhydride modification (OSA), and citric acid cross-linking (CA). This study aimed to examine the changes in chemical composition, crystallinity, and functional properties of the native sago starch after physical and chemical modifications. The results show that physical modification caused greater granule damage than chemical modification. All modification treatments did not alter the type of crystallinity but decreased the relative crystallinity of native starch. New functional groups were formed in chemically modified starches at a wavelength of 1700–1725 cm⁻¹. The degree of order (DO) and degree of double helix (DD) of the modified starches were also not significantly different from the native sample, except for AHT and OPT, respectively. Physical modification decreased the swelling volume, while chemical modification increased its value and is inversely proportional to solubility. AHT and OPT starches have the best freeze–thaw stability among others, indicating that both starches have the potential to be applied in frozen food.

Corn starch-based nanocomposite films usually have low moisture barrier properties. Adding virgin coconut oil (VCO) as a hydrophobic component can improve the nanocomposite film’s characteristics, especially the film’s permeability and elongation properties. This study aimed to determine the role of VCO with various concentrations (0, 3, 5 wt%) on the physical, mechanical, and water vapor transmission characteristics of corn starch/NCC-based nanocomposite films. Adding 3% VCO to the film showed the lowest WVTR value by 4.721 g/m².h. At the same time, the value of tensile strength was 4.243 MPa, elongation 69.28%, modulus of elasticity 0.062 MPa, thickness 0.219 mm, lightness 98.77, and water solubility 40.51%. However, adding 5 wt% VCO to the film increased the film’s elongation properties by 83.87%. The SEM test showed that adding VCO formed a finer structure with pores in several areas. The FTIR films showed that adding VCO caused a slightly higher absorption peak shift at the O–H groups and new absorption peaks at wave numbers 1741 cm⁻¹ and 1742 cm⁻¹. The results of this study may provide opportunities for the development of nanocomposite films as biodegradable packaging in the future.

Pancakes are fast food snacks that are generally made with wheat flour as the basic ingredients, which is an imported commodity and detrimental for people who are allergic to gluten. To reduce the use of wheat, alternative raw materials derived from local commodities are used, such as modified cassava flour (mocaf), arrowroot flour, and suweg flour. The experiment was carried out by mixing mocaf flour, arrowroot flour, and suweg flour to produce composite flour with a ratio of 70:15:15 (CF1), 70:20:10 (CF2), and 70:20:5 (CF3). The result showed that the ratio of mocaf flour, arrowroot flour, and suweg flour had a significant effect on pasting temperature, peak viscosity, hold viscosity, breakdown viscosity, setback, L*, a*, hue, whiteness, ∆E, as well as swelling volume and solubility on the characteristics of the composite flour. There was also a significant effect on the texture characteristics of hardness, adhesiveness, chewiness, color characteristics L*, a*, whiteness, ∆E, and flavor preference for the gluten-free pancake products. The best formulation to produce pancakes that have characteristics similar to wheat flour-based pancakes was 70% mocaf flour, 15% arrowroot flour, and 15% suweg flour.

Bionanocomposite film is produced from renewable and biodegradable natural resources. Although elephant foot yam (EFY) starch (Amorphophallus paeoniifolius) is a promising polymer for bionanocomposite film, the native hydrophilic properties influence the overall performance characteristics. Incorporating virgin coconut oil (VCO) and monoglyceride as hydrophobic components can improve mechanical properties and reduce permeability while increasing the hydrophobicity of the composite. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the effect of adding VCO and monoglyceride on EFY starch-nanocrystalline film at 3 and 5 wt% concentrations. Experimental tests were conducted to evaluate the physical and mechanical properties, water vapor transmission rate (WVTR), morphology, functional groups, biodegradability, and hydrophobicity. The results showed that the addition of 5 wt% monoglyceride produced optimum outcomes by reducing the WVTR to 3.99 g.m−2.h−1, increasing the thickness to 0.134 mm and decreasing the solubility to 36.04%. The Universal Testing Machine (UTM) tests showed an elongation of 74.59%, showing excellent elasticity. The Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) test showed the bonds formed with starch granules, leading to a flatter surface. The Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) test also showed an increase in the wavelength of the C=O groups and a decrease in the O-H groups. The contact angle test processed using image-J showed high hydrophobicity, consequently reducing the biodegradability of bionanocomposite film by the Aspergillus niger fungal degradation test. In conclusion, this study successfully developed bionanocomposite film with enhanced hydrophobicity, elasticity, and barrier properties, highly suitable for protecting food from humid air. The composite holds great potential for further development as an environmentally friendly packaging solution.