The Material Development of Food Packaging and Containers from Rubber-Leaf Fiber and Local Materials of Kap Mak Dish Community Enterprise in Tha Dee Mee Village, Pak Tom Subdistrict, Chiang Khan District, Loei Province

Abstract

This research was the material development of food packaging and containers from rubber-leaf fiber and local materials of Kap Mak Dish Community Enterprise in Tha Dee Mee Village, Pak Tom Subdistrict, Chiang Khan District, Loei Province, aiming 1) to develop food packaging and containers from rubber leaves mixed with local materials, 2) to test the materials of the developed food packaging and containers, and 3) to evaluate satisfaction between original betel-nut dishes and the developed food packaging and containers using new materials. The hypothesis was that there was no significant difference in satisfaction between the original betel-nut dishes and the developed food packaging and containers using new materials. The process of paper production and information on local materials in Loei Province were reviewed. The review showed that there were 3 materials from local economic plants, including corn husks, rice straw and sugarcane leaves. Therefore, these 3 materials were mixed with the rubber-leaf fiber for paper production, resulting in 4 formulas of new materials. The formulas were: 1) rubber leaves mixed with corn husks 60:40, 2) rubber leaves mixed with rice straw 60:40, 3) rubber leaves mixed with sugarcane leaves 60:40, and 4) rubber leaves mixed with corn husks, rice straw and sugar cane leaves (40:20:20:20). The result exhibited that the developed material for food packaging and containers was naturally degradable. The result of evaluating satisfaction towards the developed food packaging and containers from 66 participants using accidental sampling showed that the new material had the highest level of suitability in terms of usability. The result of hypothesis testing illustrated that there was no significant difference in satisfaction between original betel-nut dishes and the developed food packaging and containers using new materials proving that the hypothesis is true with a statistical confidence of 0.05 which was assumed that it was due to the fact that both food packaging and containers were similar in terms of natural degradability, eco-friendly properties and enhancing income of farmers in the community.