Chitosan-Based Edible Coating: A Customise Practice for Food Protection

Abstract

This chapter demonstrates the use of chitosan as an edible coating material for improved storage life of food products especially perishable food products. Chitosan is a versatile biopolymer derived from renewable resources with several befitting properties. Additionally, chitosan is a substantial biodegradable, biocompatible and non-toxic material extensively used for enormous applications. Among existing applications, chitosan and its derivatives are constant materials for edible coating. The edible coating is considered a tailor-made customised technique for food protection including fruits and vegetables, meat and meat products and others. The specified packaging sectors aid in maintaining food integrity without changing or degrading nutritional quality, which possibly a problem in other post-harvest techniques. Further, chitosan has various medicinal properties such as antimicrobial, antibacterial, antidiabetic and others, which make it a promising agent in day-to-day life. However, the poor mechanical and barrier properties of chitosan may restrict its use in food packaging sections. In this regards, the fabrication of chitosan-based composites and blends can offer tuned properties against individual use as edible coating materials. Moreover, chitosan as an edible coating can deliver bioactive compounds to food products maintaining food properties with an improved shelf life.