Edible Active Coating Systems for Food Purposes

What is it about?

Currently, many foods are wasted because they are highly perishable or have not been properly packaged, and when they reach the final consumer, they do not meet minimum quality requisites. To overcome this problem, the food and packaging industries have developed several active packaging systems to increase the food’s shelf life. One of the systems developed to control food spoilage and increase its shelf life are edible active coatings. Edible coatings are thin, protective, edible, and biodegradable layers deposited on a food’s surface. The edible coatings are an environmentally friendly technology produced with biodegradable polymers (polysaccharides, proteins, lipids, and composites) and, can also enhance food safety, nutritional and sensory attributes by adding bioactive compounds (antioxidants, antimicrobials, or specific nutrients) to the polymeric matrix. Different studies have shown the effectiveness of edible active coatings in different foods products, particularly in fruits and vegetables. The edible active coatings can control moisture transfer, gas exchange, microbial growth, oxidation processes and other chemical reactions. This chapter summarizes the current state of knowledge on edible active coatings, discussing their different applications as carriers of active compounds, such as antimicrobials or antioxidants, to improve quality and extend food’s shelf life.

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