Edible Film and Coating for Food Packaging

Abstract

Owing to the influence of several environmental sustainability initiatives being carried out globally, there has been an escalating emphasis on the demand of renewable and environmentally safe resources, which has further driven the growth and research in food packaging toward an eco-friendly innovation, namely edible films and coatings. They are the edible and biodegradable materials utilized to coat or wrap the food products, not only to prevent them from mechanical, chemical, and microbial damage, and improve their shelf life, but also to act as carriers of bioactive and nutraceutical compounds to enhance the functional and nutritional value of the product. They are generally classified based on their anatomical material, i.e., proteins, lipids, polysaccharides, or composites, which act as primary raw materials for their production along with the addition of other substances, namely plasticizers and additives such as active substances, antioxidants, and antimicrobials. These raw materials can also be procured from agricultural and industrial by-products. The films can be manufactured by dry and wet casting. Despite their benefits, bio-packaging materials are still meagerly in use due to their problems such as high cost, processing complexities, safety issues, and cultural problems. Edible packaging can be a potential alternative to conventional packaging in the future.