Edible Coatings to Improve Food Quality and Safety

Abstract

Edible coatings enhance the quality of food products, protecting them from physical, chemical, and biological deterioration; they lead to shelf-life extension and safety improvement. Coatings are a particular form of films directly applied to the surface of materials; they are produced from edible biomolecules such as proteins, polysaccharides or lipids, including plasticizers and food-grade additives. Edible coatings have a close and continuous association with the food until consumption, and are regarded as a part of the final product; they can act as barriers against oils, gases, or vapors and as carriers of active substances (antioxidants, antimicrobials, vitamins, colorants, and flavoring agents). Edible coatings can improve the quality of meats by retarding moisture loss, reducing lipid oxidation and discoloration, functioning as carriers of antimicrobial and antioxidant agents. In the case of fresh and minimally processed fruits and vegetables, the success of an edible coating strongly depends on its barrier property to moisture, oxygen (O2), and carbon dioxide (CO2). Besides, cellulose derivative coatings can be used to reduce oil uptake (OU) in fried foods. When antimicrobial agents such as benzoic acid, sorbic acid, propionic acid, lactic acid, nisin, and lysozyme are incorporated into the coatings they retard surface growth of bacteria, yeasts, and molds on a wide range of products, including meats and cheeses. In this chapter, the applications of edible coatings to different food products are discussed in detail, as well as the inclusion of antimicrobial agents to prolong the storage life of foods.