ABSTRACT Starch was isolated from three Andean-native crops — arracacha (Arracacia xanthorrhiza), oca (Oxalis tuberosa), and sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) — for use as a raw material for the production of foam trays. The starches were characterized in their proximal composition, crystallinity, microstructure and thermal properties. The sweet potato starch showed the highest amylose content (42.65%) and the lowest protein content (0.30%). The oca starch granules were larger (10–30 μm) than sweet potato and arracacha starch. The highest crystallinity of sweet potato starch caused larger values of onset temperature (To), peak temperature (Tp), conclusion temperature (Tc) (67.64 °C, 72.83 °C, and 81.20 °C, respectively) than arracacha and oca starch. The novel foam trays showed good appearance, adequate expansion, and low density; however, all foam trays showed a water abs...

ABSTRACT The agro-industrial wastes, sugarcane bagasse (SB) and asparagus peel (AP), were used to enhance the properties of biodegradable foam trays based on sweet potato starch-based foam trays (starch/SB and starch/AP trays, respectively). Starch/SB and starch/AP trays containing different concentrations of SB and AP (0%-40%, w/w) were prepared, and their microstructure and physical, thermal, and mechanical properties were characterized. The addition of fibers wastes allowed obtaining a yellowish foam tray with lower luminosity and higher porosity, mechanical resistance, deformability, and better ability to absorb water as compared with the sweet potato starch foam trays without fibers. The addition of SB yielded foam trays less porous, with lower water absorption capacity and greater tensile strength than the addition of AP. Higher concentrations of AP fibers (greater than 30%) genera...