Characterization of Calcium-Enriched Edible Films Produced from Eggshell Powder Fortification

The development of biodegradable film is important in order to mitigate environmental problems caused by the use of synthetic plastics, especially in meat products. This work investigates the application of calcined egg shell powder (ESP) in edible gelatin-chitosan blend-based films as a functional filler towards enhancement in physicochemical and barrier properties. The films were produced by the solvent casting technique with different ESP concentrations: 0% (control), 0.25% (w/w), 0.50% (w/w) and 0.75% (w/w) of total solids. The results revealed that the incorporation of ESP also significantly increased mechanical properties of films; the tensile strength was observed to increase from 13.24 to 21.81 MPa and elongation at break from 11.63% to 15.07% for highest concentration, indicating changes in strength of polymer matrix by advantage interaction with calcium cations. Moreover, the water barrier property of films was enhanced by supplementation with ESP, in which the Water Vapor Transmission Rate (WVTR) and Water Vapor Permeability (WVP) decreased significantly (p < 0.05), while moisture content, swelling rate and solubility also reduced. FTIR analysis confirmed the formation of hydrogen bonds and electrostatic interactions between calcium ions and biopolymer functional groups, while SEM observations revealed a compact microstructure with uniform filler distribution at low concentrations. These results suggest that gelatin-chitosan films containing 0.75% eggshell calcium exhibited higher mechanical behavior and lower moisture with better potential for meat packaging applications in sustainable manner.