What is Edible Packaging?

   

In today’s society food packaging is essential part of processing, preservation and distribution of foods as well as to protect them from surrounding environment and maintain the food quality in all stages.

  Food packaging play necessary role in chain supplies and final process of the food industry as well it is perfusive and essential part of process, preservation and distribution of foods, but its basic functions (preservation, protection, storage, performance) still need improvement for quality and handling of foods.

 Fruits and vegetables are perishable throughout the post harvest management, there are many noticeable losses because of microbes, insects, respiration, transpiration, temperature, species,  and growth stage that affects the merchandise product quality. 

  Due to drastic use of plastics, which are non biodegradable and unable to dispose also as the increasing consumer demand for safe and top quality food has encourage the look for novel techniques in food packaging.

    Hence, as the product quality and post harvest losses are important, the new technique edible packaging (film and coatings) is introduced for better results with wide interest among food scientists and industry due to there edibility and biodegradability and also it help to maintain food quality and extend shelf life.

Edible films are produced and then applied by extrusion, compression moulding etc., and it is simply defined as “thin, continuous or unbroken sheets made up of edible substances” and used to produce wraps, pouches, bags and capsules. 

Coatings are applied directly by spraying, fluidization, immersion, panning etc. on food surface and are part of that food products which are generally not removed from food item. 

  There is no difference between films and coatings regarding material compositions, only thickness are different.

   The edible packaging is done by edible polymers,  which are natural polymers used to make edible film and coatings and these are heterogeneous in nature consisting append of polysaccharides, protein and lipids. 

   These are directly consumed by human or animals with no risk, even not consumed not harmful to environment because of easy to degrade. Hence it is good alternative over synthetic plastic or biodegradable. 

   The polymers are made by using polysaccharides, lipids, and  protein components. 

Components of edible film and coatings

1. Polysaccharides
2. Protein
3. Lipids

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Components of Edible Packaging