Edible Films and Coatings: Tomorrows Packaging

Page | 1

PACKAGINGPackaging is the art and technology of enclosing or protecting products for distribution, storage, sale and use. Packaging contains, protects, preserves, transports, informs and sells.

FUNCTIONS OF A PACKAGE1. To protect a product from damage or contamination by microbes and air, moisture and toxins. 2. To keep the product together, to contain it (so that it doesnt spill). 3. To identify the product. 4. Protection during transport and ease of transportation. 5. For stocking and storage.

TYPES OF PACKAGING MATERIALS1. PLASTIC- Most common and at the same time most difficult of dispose off. These are light, strong and cheap to manufacture. 2. CARDBOARD- This material is easy to recycle and hence reuse. It is used in the form of boxes and corrugated sheets. 3. METAL- For canned foods. For drinks s.a. bear and soft drink. Aluminium is often used. Use of tin is also common. 4. GLASS- An ideal material for foods, especially liquids. It is breakable and pose difficulty is transport. It is easy of recycle.

EDIBLE PACKAGING PACKAGING THAT YOU CAN EAT The quality of food depends on organoleptic, nutritional and hygienic characteristics. Hence many physical and chemical processes such as sterilization, high pressure, radiations or active agents were developed to preserve food quality. However, the use of a package is necessary in the ultimate step of preservation process. Edible packagings are non-pollutant products because they consist of natural and biodegradable substances from agriculture. Thus, they contribute to the protection of environment. Indeed, edible packaging can be used to encapsulate aroma compounds,
Page | 2

antioxidants, anti-microbial agents, pigments nutritional substances s. a. vitamins. The main advantage of these is that they would cut down on the amount of waste we produce.

REQUIREMENTS FOR THE USE OF EDIBLE PACKAGINGSWhen a packaging like a film, a sheet, a thin layer or a coating is an integral part of a food and is eaten with it, then it is quantified as edible packaging. Edible coatings do not provide a significant nutritional value to the coated food, thus they are considered more like an additive, than an ingredient. These have to be as tasteless as possible in order not to be detected during the consumption of the product. These should fulfill the following requirements: Good sensory qualities High barrier and mechanical efficiencies Enough biochemical, physico-chemical and microbial stability Free of toxics and safe for health Simple technology Nonpolluting Low cost of raw materials and process

FUNCTIONALITY AND COMPOSTION OF EDIBLE FILMS AND COATINGSEdible packagings must have some functional and specific properties. First of all, they have to be selective towards mass transfer. Selective functions of edible coating include:

1. The water barrier efficiency of films which is desirable to retard surface dehydration of fresh or frozen products. 2. The water absorption inducing the caking in food powder or loss of crispiness could be delayed by coating.

Page | 3

3. The control of gas exchanges, particularly oxygen, allows control of ripening and also reduces oxidation and rancidity of fats. 4. Organic vapor transfers have to be diminished in order to retain aroma compounds in the product during storage. 5. By the use of these films, the effect of light and effect of UV that involves radical reactions in foods can be reduced. Edible packagings also improve: Mechanical properties of food to facilitate handling and carriage. Sensorial characteristics such as color, shininess, transparency and roughness can be improved.

FILM MANUFACTURING PROCESSESThe formation of films needs the use of at least one component capable to form a structural matrix with a sufficient cohesiveness. The film forming substances are capable to form a continuous structure by settling the interactions between molecules under the action of a chemical or physical treatment. The film and coating formation involves one of the following processes: 1. Melting and solidification of solid fats, waxes and resins. 2. Simple coacervation- where a hydrocolloid dispersed in aqueous solution is precipitated by removal of the solvent, by addition of a non-electrolyte solute in which polymer is not soluble, by the addition of an electrolyte substance inducing a salting out effect, or by modification of the pH of the solution. 3. Complex coacervation- where two hydrocolloid solutions with opposite charges are combined, inducing interactions and precipitation of the polymer mixture. 4. Thermal gelation and coagulation- by the heating of the macromolecule solution which involves denaturation, gelification, precipitation or by a rapid cooling of the hydro colloid solution that induces a sol-gel transition.

MILK PROTEINS-

Page | 4

Milk proteins, such as casein, have several key physical characteristics for effective performance in edible films such as: Nutritional value Solubility in water Ability to act as emulsifier

PROCESSES FOR FILM FORMATION USING MILK PROTEINSPackaging films must include at least one synthetic or natural polymer able to form a cohesive and continuous matrix. Two general processes for bio-packaging formation can be distinguished: 1. Dry process- is based on the thermoplastic properties of biopolymers heated above their glass transition temperature under low water content conditions. 2. Wet process- is based on film forming dispersion of biopolymers. This is generally used for preformed films and coatings. Food grade solvent systems are limited to water, ethanol or a combination of the two.

Edible films and coatings could be formed by an associative phase separation or coacervation mechanism. Depending on the presence of one or two biopolymers in the solvent system, the coacervation could be simple or complex. Films can be made using: Total milk proteins and casein and caseinates (contains both whey and casein) Whey proteins (contains whey protein concentrates and whey protein isolates)

FILM STRUCTURE INFLUENCE ON FUNCTIONAL PROPERTIESThese can be barrier, mechanical and sensory properties. 1. BARRIER PROPERTIESa) Water vapor permeability: to avoid the moisture transfer that can affect food quality, WVP control is important to get stability during storage and distribution.

Page | 5

 Effect of adding lipids on WVP: these are incorporated in films because these are water repellent and lipids with best water barrier properties are those formed from saturated, straight-chain, fatty acids, fatty alcohols and esters having 16 carbon atoms or more. Addition of lipids to hydrophilic protein-based films by forming a stable emulsion or by laminating the film with lipid layer greatly improves water vapor barrier properties. Plasticizing effect on WVP: addition of plasticizing agent to edible films is required to overcome film brittleness caused by extensive intermolecular forces. Plasticizers reduce these and increase the mobility of polymer chains, with a resulting increase in mobility of polymer chains and more flexible films. b) Gas permeability: Dry hydrocolloid films have good oxygen barrier properties. In the presence of moisture, the macromolecule chain becomes more mobile which leads to a substantial increase in oxygen permeability. c) Aroma permeability: the foods characteristic flavor and aroma are the result of many individual constituent compounds interacting to produce a recognizable taste and aroma. Thus, it is important to preserve these aroma components from oxidation and loss during storage and distribution. The aroma barrier properties of a film are influenced by the external factors like temperature, relative humidity, light and physical properties of the food. Hence these factors must be taken into account when determining the barrier property of a film.

2. MECHANICAL ROPERTIESThe milk protein base edible films have generally good tensile strength and moderate elongation. The mechanical properties of edible films are linked with the film-forming conditions (i.e. type of process and process parameters). These are of the following 3 types: a) Effect of lipids: films strength decreases with increase in lipid concentration. b) Effect of pH: optimal film is obtained at pH of 9 and has shown highest tensile strength (of 4.5 MPa). c) Effect of additives: an increase in plasticizer content resulted in a considerable decrease in elasticity modulas and in the tensile strength.

Page | 6

3. SENSORY PROPERTIES: Since an edible film becomes a part of the food product and is consumed with its contents, sensory attributes of edible films are very important in determining the acceptability of a food product. Films composed of milk proteins vary from transparent to translucent, and these are generally flavorless. It has been seen that WPI (whey protein isolate) films have no distinctive milk odor, however they are slightly sweet and adhesive. Also these are clear and transparent.

POTENTIAL FOOD APPLICATIONS OF MILK PROTEIN PACKAGINGThe main concepts of using the edible films are extending food shelf life and improvement of food quality. Milk proteins have received attention in edible films and coating because they provide the potential to control transfer of oxygen, moisture, aroma, oil and flavor compounds in food systems. 1. MOISTURE BARRIER APPLICATIONSa) Fresh fruits and vegetables: use of edible coating to minimize the deleterious effects of minimal processing of fresh fruits and vegetables has been reported for several commodities as they can provide partial barrier to moisture and gas exchange and could lead to reduction in spoilage from 25-80%. For example, edible coating from milk protein can substantially reduce moisture loss and oxidative browning in apple slices. Also caseinate films could reduce considerably the water loss for strawberries during storage. b) Frozen foods: many types of coating materials have been tested in attempts to maintain quality of frozen foods. Casein and acetylated mono-glyceride emulsion coatings have been used on frozen salmon pieces stored at -10C and there was reduced moisture loss as compared to uncoated salmon.

2. GAS BARRIER APPLICATIONSa) Fresh fruits and vegetables: milk proteins are good gas barriers at low to moderate relative humidity (RH). RH also has an exponential effect on the oxygen permeability of WPI film. Thus WPI based coatings have potential to be used in food systems to provide protection against oxygen when the storage RH is intermediate or low.

Page | 7

b) Appetizers: peanuts are susceptible to lipid oxidation which depends on oxygen concentration during storage, causing rancidity. WPI based edible coatings have shown to be good oxygen barriers on the nut surface and could delay considerably oxygen uptake of dry-roasted peanuts at intermediate to low storage RH (53-21%).

3. AROMA BARRIER APPLICATIONEdible films can be applied as flavor carriers in addition to provide a protection to aroma loss. The sorption ability of edible coating may allow the flavor and aroma incorporation into a coating for delayed release in order to improve the flavor profile of the food. Casein films could be advantageous because of their great strength and biodegradability, showing a good ability for packaging aromatic dry powder, such as tea, coffee and spices.

FUTURE OF BIOPACKAGINGEdible packagings are intelligent packagings because they are both active and selective and have infinite potential use. Edible coatings are very promising systems for the future improvement of food quality and preservation during processes and storage. Indeed, they could be used where plastic packaging cannot be applied, that is, they can separate compartments within a food. Their cost is 10 to 50 fold higher than those of polyethylene or polypropylene films. However, their cost is not a handicap to their development because quantities used are very low, and they are especially applied for very specific goals in value-added food products. Thus the knowledge of edible films and coatings should be used for the development of new applications as these potentially appear to be successful key for tomorrows food packagings.

Page | 8

Page | 9