Current development of edible food packaging: A review

Abstract

A desirable solution to prevent landfill wastes generated by non-biodegradable polymers used in food packaging can be obtained through edible food packaging. Edible biopolymers draw attention due to their biocompatible, comestible, and degradable properties. Their composition can be conformed by proteins, polysaccharides, microbial polymers and their composites. Their main advantages are their ingestible non-toxic nature, as they form part of the food product while offering shell life extension, improvements in gas/moisture barrier, mechanical properties, and even antibacterial properties. Additional components like antioxidant agents and plasticizers, enhance the previously mentioned properties and open the way to new applications. Concepts, characteristics, and properties concerning research in food's edible films are defined in the present work in order to give a broad perspective of this emerging and promising field.