Physical properties and antimicrobial activities of a persimmon peel/red algae composite film containing grapefruit seed extract

As a by-product of dried persimmon production, persimmon peel (PP) can be utilized as an edible film base material. In this study, PP/red algae (RA) composite films were prepared, and their physical properties were determined. Among the PP composite films, the 4% PP/1% RA composite film had the best physical properties (7.31 MPa, 8.16%, and 4.99 ng m/m 2 s Pa for tensile strength, elongation at break, and water vapor permeability, respectively). The optical property of the PP composite film was desirable because the color of the film had an intrinsic persimmon color. In addition, the 4% PP/1% RA composite film containing 1% grapefruit seed extract was prepared as an antimicrobial film. These results suggest that this PP composite film can be applied to food packaging.