Current applications in food preservation based on marine biopolymers

Abstract

Marine biopolymers, including polysaccharides such as alginate, carrageenan, chitin, chitosan and gelatin, are biocompatible, biodegradable and non-toxic to mammals and are widely used in a variety of industrial applications. In food, these biopolymers perform a number of functions including gelling and thickening aqueous solutions, as well as stabilizing foams, emulsions and dispersions, inhibiting ice and sugar crystal formation, preventing spoilage and control the release of additive materials. These food biopolymers play an important role in food structure, food functional properties, food processing and shelf life. They are generally hydrophilic due to the large number of hydroxyl groups, which confer high affinity for binding water molecules, so that they can be dispersed in water in the colloidal state. In this chapter, we provide recent collaborative studies of the application of some important biopolymers in food preservation. In addition, the chapter provides the latest technological applications and prospects of these products in food applications. It provides a better understanding of the food systems, improve food qualities, and make better use of food macromolecules.