Ask Umbra: Is it OK to reuse biodegradable plastic spoons?
Ask Umbra: Is it OK to reuse biodegradable plastic spoons?
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Q. We get cute, colorful, (supposedly) biodegradable plastic spoons at a local frozen yogurt joint. They would be perfect to reuse for my 2-year-old son, except that I&#;m worried about the chemicals they may be releasing, especially in response to the high temps of the dishwasher. Should I steer clear or is it OK to reuse this biodegradable product?
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Jess W.
St. Louis, Mo.
A. Dearest Jess,
As a bit of a frozen yogurt fan myself, I know just the spoons of which you speak &#; thick, sturdy, and always cheerfully hued. They certainly look like they&#;d be at home in any toddler&#;s flatware set (or hey, an adult&#;s picnic kit or lunch bag). But as you well know, looks can be deceiving.
I checked into a few different brands of biodegradable, disposable utensils, and many report that their products are indeed reusable. Most also specify how much heat the spoons can withstand before they start to fall apart, from 185 degrees Fahrenheit for these models made from polylactic acid (PLA) to 220 degrees for these cornstarch-based dippers. These compostable wood utensils can also be cleaned and reused a few times.
More specific to your question about those heavy-duty yogurt spoons: I found only a few of the leading chains that clearly report their scoops are a-OK to spoon again another day, Yogurtland and Menchie&#;s among them (though the Menchie&#;s spoons are not biodegradable).
Are you interested in learning more about Biodegradable Spoons? Contact us today to secure an expert consultation!
Ramani Narayan, a professor in the chemical engineering and materials science department at Michigan State University, assured me that PLA-based plastic cutlery that&#;s certified by the Biodegradable Products Institute is safe to reuse a few times &#; if you&#;re careful how you wash it. &#;&#;Biodegradable under composting conditions&#; means the cutlery needs to be exposed to industrial and municipal composting conditions for it to break down and become food for microorganisms,&#; he notes via . &#;However, it will not maintain its structural integrity in a dishwasher.&#;
Nor should you use strong detergents to clean the spoons &#; in fact, plain hot water during handwashing is best. That&#;s not necessarily because there&#;s any risk of chemicals leaching into your food: Narayan notes that PLA-based cutlery typically lacks any plasticizers or other dangerous additives. But soaps can kick off the degrading process, so it&#;s best to skip &#;em.
Finally, don&#;t go overboard with the reuse. Even though PLA spoons are generally safe to use, they&#;re not intended for a permanent place in the drawer. Two or three times is really all you get before you should retire them to the (municipal) compost heap.
I should add, Jess, that I hesitate to give you free rein to reuse any other type of plastic spoon, let alone put it in the dishwasher. Regular plastic flatware can leach chemicals into your food, and manufacturers sometimes mix various additives into even biodegradable plastics. Besides making it tough to figure out exactly what&#;s in that spoon, Narayan warns that some of these additives don&#;t break down completely during composting, despite the products&#; claims.
What I can say definitively is that your very best bet is skipping the Crayola-colored plastic utensils and bringing your own reusable spoons the next time a yogurt craving hits. Metal utensils are designed to handle repeated washings, exposure to soap, and a wide range of temperatures.
After all, while compostable plastics may represent a positive step forward, they have plenty of their own issues, too &#; so our priority should be reducing our consumption of throwaway items as much as possible.
Acidophilusly,
Umbra
Plastic Cutlery Alternative: Case Study with Biodegradable ...
3.1. Textural Parameters
The texture parameters of plastic spoons are shown in . Four types of plastic spoons were used for the measurement of hardness. According to the European directive 904/ [4], from July , plastic spoons will be restricted and will not be sold in the European countries.
The comparison of experimentally produced biodegradable spoons with different xantan concentrations is shown in . Thanks to its polymer structure and hydrophilic properties, xantan serves as a perfect binder. The resulting solutions are resistant to high temperatures, and therefore xanthan gum is suitable for the preparation of baked products [9,10]. Though, from the it can be perceived that hardness increased statistically significantly (p < 0.05) with a higher amount of xantan only for the sample 2PX1 S (the dried sample with lower content of millet flour).
Table 3
SampleHardness (g)2.5 g Xanthan x5 g Xanthan y2PX.01 ± 320.51 A.30 ± 505.66 A2PX1 S.24 ± .60 aB.48 ± .20 bC3PX.62 ± 908.61 aC.25 ± 377.66 bA3PX1 S.77 ± .41 D.08 ± .69 BOpen in a separate windowThe analysis showed that a sample with the same composition, but not dried, achieved a higher hardness with the addition of 2.5 g of xanthan (.01 ± 320.51 g) compared to a formulation with 5 g (.30 ± 505.66 g). A statistically significant (p < 0.05) difference was found between 2PX1 S and 3PX1 S samples ( ). In , Encina-Zelada et al. [11] studied the effect of xanthan gum on the physico-chemical, rheological, and textural properties of gluten-free bread. The study showed that a greater addition of xanthan a mixture of rice, corn and quin flour resulted in lower stickiness and cohesiveness of the dough, but the dough was still firmer, with good consistency and viscosity. The best results were achieved by loaves with an amount of xanthan of 1.5&#;2.5% and with 110% addition of water [11]. Certainly, the texture parameters of experimentally produced biodegradable spoons were affected by the presence of so-called &#;gluten&#; proteins&#;prolamins and glutelins, able to create a harder texture [12].
Drying at high temperature (60 °C) had a great influence on the hardness of the spoons. During drying, water is removed, and the product becomes more durable and stronger [13]. Samples (2PX1 x and 3PX1 x) containing xanthan were baked at two different temperatures, at 180 and 240 °C for 10 min.
The sample with a lower addition of xanthan (2.5 g) showed a lower hardness (.01 ± 320.51 g) than a sample containing 5 g of xanthan (.62 ± 908.61 g). The highest hardness was reached in the 3PX1 sample (.61 ± 345.08 g), baked at 240 °C. The results suggest that the hardness increased with a higher temperature. Likewise, a significant effect of xanthan on textural properties was demonstrated too. A statistically significant difference was found between a sample with 2.5 g of xanthan, baked at 180 °C, and a sample with 5 g of xanthan, baked at 240 °C. The dough changes its structure irreversibly during baking. The first changes occur at a temperature of 15&#;40 °C, when the fat melts. At 70 °C, the starch begins to gelatinize, and as the temperature rises to 90 °C, the baked products become firmer. Water evaporates when it exceeds 100 °C and the product loses its original semi-solid consistency [14].
The hardness of biodegradable spoons prepared from gluten free millet flour with different water contents is shown in .
Table 4
SampleHardness (g) 50 mL Water40 mL Water x30 mL Water20 mL Water.75 ± 68.63 A655.16 ± 69..03 ± 88.03 ANot usable samples4 S.04 ± .93 B.75 ± 641..1 ± 446.70 BNot usable samplesOpen in a separate windowFrom the results it can be read that the highest hardness is achieved in samples with 40 mL of water. The highest hardness was shown by the dried sample with the addition of 40 mL of water (.75 ± 641.37 g), the lowest hardness was measured in the non-dried sample with 50 mL of water (542.75 ± 68.63 g). Spoons prepared with 20 mL of water were not measured as they disintegrated after baking. There was a statistically significant (p < 0.05) difference between dried and non-dried sample (with the addition of 50 mL and 30 mL of water), containing 50 mL of water. Similar results were obtained for samples of spoons with 30 mL of water ( ). During baking, the water begins to evaporate at temperatures over 100 °C. In this phenomenon, water gets from the dough to the surface and causes a color change. The color changing affects sensory properties of the product and consequently consumers&#; acceptance [14]. According to the study conducted in by De la Hera et al. [15], the amount of hydration and the grain size of the used flour play an important role in the quality of gluten-free bread (the study used rice flour for analysis). As a result, the product achieved high hardness and low volume at lower hydration.
The texture was also evaluated for samples prepared with and without addition of palm oil. The results are shown in .
Table 5
SampleHardness (g)Without Oil10 g of Oil1P710.27 ± 156..88 ± 37.75 AC2P927.19 ± 122.72 aA616.56 ± 52.27 bBD3P845.54 ± 119.60 A198.04 ± 92.00 AC1P S.51 ± .98 a966.75 ± 391.60 bA2P S.03 ± .37 a.97 ± 305.12 bB3P S.61 ± ..10 ± 128.95 CD.75 ± 68.63 B396.03 ± 156.61 CD4 S.04 ± ..13 ± 209.09 CDOpen in a separate windowThe highest hardness was obtained with the dried sample 1PS (.51 ± .98 g), which did not include palm oil in its recipe. In contrast, the lowest hardness was measured for a 3P sample with 10 g of oil. The results showed that the addition of palm oil negatively affected the hardness of experimentally produced spoons ( ). Statistically significant (p < 0.05) differences between samples with and without oil addition were found between the following samples: 2P, 1PS and 2PS.
Table 6
SampleHardness (g)Without Oil5 g of Oil p2PX1 x.01 ± 320..00 ± 646.272PX1 y.30 ± 505..24 ± 424.492PX1 xS.24 ± ..09 ± 403.822PX1 yS.48 ± .20 a.29 ± 784.90 bOpen in a separate windowSamples containing xanthan were analyzed for the effect of palm oil addition on spoon hardness. The results are shown in . A statistically significant difference (p < 0.05) was observed for the 2PX1 yS sample, the other results were not statistically significant (p > 0.05).
Table 7
SampleHardness (g)1:1 x3:1 y1:3 z.22 ± 737..15 ± 106..9 ± 172.70Open in a separate windowHigher values were obtained for dried samples, not including palm oil in their recipe. The addition of 5 g of oil resulted in a relative reduction in hardness. Conversely, this was the case for non-dried samples. The highest hardness of the 2PX1 yS sample was mainly due to drying at 60 °C, but the addition of 5 g of xanthan was also significant, helping to create stable products with optimal structure. The results showed that the presence of more xanthan increases the hardness of the spoons only after drying. Fat is added to the dough to improve the texture and taste of the product. After baking, the spoons had a more attractive appearance [14].
In their study examining the effect of dough mixing time on the properties of biscuits, Manohar and Rao [16] state that as the fat level increases, the strength of the biscuits decreases and, conversely, their brittleness increases. This statement is in the accordance of studies finding that triacylglycerols significantly affect the crystallization processes, and consequently increases hardness [17].
The hardness of biodegradable spoons with different ratios of smooth wheat and grape flour is shown in .
The same ratio (1:1) of smooth wheat flour and grape flour showed the highest hardness. From the results it can be read that higher addition of grape seed flour resulted in a lower hardness of the spoons.
Samples of biodegradable spoons with the highest hardness were selected and subsequently their recipe was improved by the addition of grape flour in various concentrations (0%, 5%, 10% and 20%), the obtained results are shown in (the samples were baked at 240 °C for 10 min). The highest hardness was reached in spoons with 5% addition of grape flour, that were dried. An exception is the 9S sample, that reached the highest hardness with 10% addition of different amounts of grape flour were found within samples 9, 11S and 12 ( ). Grape flour was added to the recipe due to the significant amount of bioactive compounds, especially fiber and polyphenols, substances with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects [18]. Ross et al. [19] carried out an analysis examining the acceptability of bread that was enriched with different concentrations of grape flour (10%, 7.5% and 5%). The lowest grape seed flour concentration 5%, proved to be the most suitable amount. A higher proportion of grape flour. The reason is the lower proportion of millet flour in the recipe compared to other examined samples. Statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) between the samples has a negative effect on sweetness and causes a feeling of bitterness.
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