International Journal of All Research Education and Scientific Methods (IJARESM), ISSN: 2455-6211

Volume 8, Issue 9, September-2020, Impact Factor: 4.597, Available online at: www.ijaresm.com

Formulation of Edible and Biodegradable Straw using

Ipomoea batatas (Sweet Potato)
N. Surya Prabha M.E1, Gokula Varshini. S.V2, Kamala Priya. I. S3, Pavithra. R4,
Sri Priya. B5
1,2,3,4,5
Department of Food Processing And Preservation Technology, School of Engineering, Avinashilingam Institute For
Home Science and Higher Education for Women, Coimbatore.

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ABSTRACT

The edible straw is a product which is used for drinking beverages and can be eaten after drinking; they can also be
bio-degradable when thrown off. The history of drinking straw shows the detailed milestones of the evaluation from
papaya stem to the plastic drinking straw. The edible drinking straw is formulated to overcome the issue of banning
plastic straw. The base ingredient (flour) is mainly selected from tubers which have high nutritional content. The
selection of stabilizing and thickening agents are also selected from a natural material which maintains its structure
without collapsing for maximum time. The binding agent helps to hold the particles by binding them together
during consumption of beverage, so the taste won’t alter. Each ingredients have different functional and chemical
property in it. The ingredients of the edible straw are selected in such a way that they will have nutraceutical and
functional property in it.

Key words: Edible straw, history, requirements, properties.

INTRODUCTION

The modern world now turns around to the tradition of making edible drinking straw, which can be eaten after drinking
beverage or degrade when it is thrown off. These straws are high on demand as the plastic straws are banded.. The drinking
straw is a small tube or pipes that allow the users to drink beverage more conveniently. It is a device composed of tubes of
paper or cellophane or any combination of organic material, which is treated with a protective coating or impregnating
agent to avoid the hygroscopic nature of the straw. The function of drinking straw is to consume drinks or beverages by
sucking the liquid through the straw.

The working of straw is a simple mechanism where, the combined action of muscle in cheeks and tongue reduce the air
pressure in the mouth and above the liquid in the straw. So the beverages are forced into the straw through atmospheric
pressure.

To overcome the issues of banning plastic straw, paper straws are used everywhere. The use of paper straws is quite
complicated as they become soggy on long time soaking in the beverage and they also cost much more than plastic straws.
Sometimes they use wax as coating which may harmful to our health. The other alternative for these straws are metal straws
but proper cleaning is not done in them and people do not prefer to re-use the straws as they followed the practice of using
single time use disposable plastic and paper straws.

So to give alternative to these issues formulating edible cum biodegradable straw.

HISTORY:
The history of drinking straw started before many thousands of years ago where human used hallow stems as drinking
straws. For examples papaya stems.

Before 3000 BC the first drinking straw was made by Sumerian which was found in their Tomb of Mesopotamia to drink
beer by avoiding the solid by-products of the fermented beer which settle at the bottom which is brewed in large vats. These
straws were made of gold metal and decorated with the precious blue stone.

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 International Journal of All Research Education and Scientific Methods (IJARESM), ISSN: 2455-6211
Volume 8, Issue 9, September-2020, Impact Factor: 4.597, Available online at: www.ijaresm.com

After that the Argentina people and their neighborhood use the Straw called Boombilla to drink a traditional caffeine rich
South American dish called mate. These are made out of silver metal with a filter at the bottom to separate Mate from
leaves, stem etc.., these bombilla are five inches long approximately.

The next Straw up-gradation starts at late 1800s with the rye grass which belongs to poaceae family which was very soft
and cheap but they turned into mush when soaked in the beverage for a long time. It also gives grassy taste to the beverage
on drinking.

To overcome this issue and American inventor Marvin Chester stone made a modern drinking straw out of paper in the year
1888. He simply made the straw by wrapping the paper around the pencil to make a thin tube and applied the glue between
the strips. By 1890 he made a machine with the Prototype which will coat outside of the paper with a wax hold together so
that on drinking bourbon whisky the glue won‟t dissolve in it. These straws are unbendable and these were similar to that of
straws from grass stems where both has narrow bore.

At 1937, straws gain the ability to bend with the flexible elbow like an inverted L which is invented by Joseph B Friedman
he inserted a screw at the top and rapped it with dental floss around the paper tracing grooves made by the inserted screws
leaving accordion like ridge in the middle of the straight straw. During 1950 Milton Dinhofer patented his straw in the
shape of the scissors with two loops on the top.

The paper straws ruled over the world until 1960s after that the invention plastics era starts which ruled all over the world
likes a king as they are inexpensive all the paper straws are replaced by plastic straws.

During 1980s crazy straws which have a small roller coaster before the end of the straw and jumbo straws with wide
opening are introduced.

After that the straws are used daily to drink the beverages to maintain our hygiene so they are disposed after single use
which threats the soil fertility and marine life so scientists focused on developing an alternative to replace single use plastic
straws with reusable or recyclable or biodegradable or edible straws.

MATERIALS AND METHOD

Good quality Sweet potato and other ingredients such as sago, guar gum, sugar, salt were purchased from local market,
Coimbatore.

Preparation of raw materials:

Sweet potato is washed in running water. It is peeled and sliced into small pieces which is dried. Then the dried sweet
potato slice is grinded into fine flour. Sago is cooked with water in the ratio 1:2 at 73 ºC for 10 minutes. It is used as a
binding agent. Guar gum is mixed with pure distilled water with the help of magnetic stirrer. It is a used as a stabilser.

METHODOLOGY

The three variation of edible drinking straw were formulated by varing the ingredient composition. The edible drinking
straw is formulated by mixing the selected raw materials with water to form a dough. The dough is extruded in a extrusion
machine to form a shape of the elongated cylindrical tubular sleeve. Then this elongated tubular sleeve is cut to a required
length. The edible water repellent coating was applied on the tubular sleeve cut if needed. They are then packed in a air
tight container.

The sensory evaluation of edible drinking straw were evaluated by 10 members. It is based on sensory attributes such as
appearance, colour, flavor, taste and overall acceptability.

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 International Journal of All Research Education and Scientific Methods (IJARESM), ISSN: 2455-6211
Volume 8, Issue 9, September-2020, Impact Factor: 4.597, Available online at: www.ijaresm.com

Mixing ingredients

Extrusion

Cutting

Coating

Packaging

Fig: 1

The evaluation was done on nine point hedonic scale. The durability of the straw is tested by submerge it in drink. The
versatility is tested to check whether the straw affect the flavor of drink. The water absorption of edible straw is also
evaluated.

RESULT AND DISCUSSION

The sweet potato slice is dried at varying temperature 50ºC, 60ºC, 70ºC. There is a significant moisture loss from the
sample dried at 60ºC. The sample A, B, C are the three varying composition of formulation of edible straw given in table(1)
The water absorption of edible straw is also evaluated is given in table(2). Sample A absorb more water than B and C. The
durability of straw made from sample A is less than sample B and C. Eventhough Sample C absorb less water it is very
hard for edible purpose. The durability of edible straw made from sample C is 20 minutes. Sample B absorb moderate
amount of water. The durability of edible straw made from sample B is 20 minutes . According to sensory evaluation
sample B was accepted likely very much.

Table (1): Ingredients with varing composition

sample Sweet potato flour: cooked

sago
A 10:3

B 10:4

C 10:5

Table(2): Comparison of water absorption percentage of samples A, B and C

Sampl Dry Wet Water absorbed

e mass (g) mass (g) (%)
A 20.25 20.77 2.568
B 21.32 21.63 1.454
C 21.46 21.58 0.559

W of moist straw
Water up taken (%db) = ( - -1)×100
W of dryed straw

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 International Journal of All Research Education and Scientific Methods (IJARESM), ISSN: 2455-6211
Volume 8, Issue 9, September-2020, Impact Factor: 4.597, Available online at: www.ijaresm.com

CONCLUSION

The formulation of edible drinking straw at 55% of sweet potato flour, 40% of cooked sago, 0.1% of guar gum, 4.6% of
sugar, 0.3% of salt is accepted as best. It is been nutritionally and sensorily superior in most quality attributes. Edible
straw are currently having high demand to replace the uses of plastic straws which is banded through out the world.
Therefore, the development of a edible straw with various health benefits may increase its market value as well as can be a
good health supplement for consumers

REFERENCES

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[4] Thompson, D. (2011). “The amazing history and the strange invention of the bendy Straw,” The Atlantic, Accessed
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