Self Supporting Edible Films

Self-supporting Edible Films

by Bhupendra Singh
(Assistant Director)
Indian Institute of Packaging

At present the most commonly used packaging materials for food packaging are Metals,
Glass, Plastics, Foil and Wax board containers for protection against external
contamination, the effects of atmospheric oxygen and moisture, and for protection against
mechanical damage. The food has to be removed or separated from the package at the
time of use.

In contrast to this we can have packages in the form of films or coatings on the food
product, which becomes an integral part of the food, the food can be consumed as such.
These packages are known as edible packaging and they are the packaging materials of
the future.

Edible films and coatings are protective barriers while also being an edible portion of the
packaged or coated food. The protective functions served by the film include oxygen,
moisture and aroma barriers, as well as physical damage prevention. Active ingredients
and seasonings can be incorporated into the edible films and coatings. They may carry
antioxidants, antimicrobial agents, colorants, flavors, fortified nutrients, and/or spices.

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Self Supporting Edible Films

An edible coating is a thin layer that is deposited on the surface of a food and is
consumed. This layer is not self-supporting hence they are used to improve handling
properties or to prevent moisture loss (wax coatings on fruits and vegetables). It is also
used as an adhesive to seasonings on snack foods (e.g. salt on dry roasted peanuts) and to
increase shelf life and reduce the need of packaging material. Wax coatings have
disadvantages when used as moisture barriers since they tend to crack upon handling or
with changes in temperatures. Most research on edible coatings has been done with
cellulose ethers, starch, hydroxypropylated starch, corn zein, wheat gluten, soy protein
and milk proteins

Development of the self-supporting edible films has been the subject of tremendous
research since the last decade. The advantages is using the self-supporting edible films is
that these films can be prepared by casting solutions of proteins, carbohydrates and lipids,
in different combinations and compositions. Their properties are found to be affected
considerably by different factors at different stages in the process.

Films made from natural products are gaining increasing scientific and commercial
interest in self-supporting edible films. These films are not only biodegradable but may
also be recyclable as well as acceptable for human consumption and pharmaceutical
applications. Multiple uses, ease of disposal and the replacement of petroleum-based raw
materials with renewable agricultural products make these types of films excellent
materials for commercial development.

Various self- supporting edible films currently available are made from a variety of
polysaccharides, vegetable proteins and lipids. Polysaccharides used in edible films
include alginate, pectin, cellulose, modified cellulose, agar, carrageenan and starches
among others. Proteins, other than collagen, used in making films or coatings for
foodstuffs include gelatin, casein and albumin and various vegetable proteins such as
wheat and corn gluten and soy. Lipid films used as coatings include fatty acid glycerides
and various waxes such as paraffin and beeswax. Platicizer’s may also be included in the

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Self Supporting Edible Films

mixtures in order to increase film flexibility. The self-supporting edible films are
advantageous in that all materials are derived from agricultural products.

The primary function of using edible film is to retard undesirable migration of moisture
grease or oil and gaseous component (O2, CO2 or other volatile flavors), prevent the food
from microbial invasion, mechanical damage and breakage and isolate reactive
ingredients

Although most of the developed self-supporting edible films show desirable oxygen
permeability, they still lack in moisture barrier and mechanical properties when compared
with synthetic polymeric films.

Other benefits of using edible packaging materials as compared to ordinary packaging

materials is as given below
- Their cost is generally low
- They reduce packaging waste as they become an integral part of the food and
are biodegradable
- They can enhance the organoleptic, mechanical and nutritional properties of
foods, as they are suitable for wrapping small pieces for portions of food.

They can also be used inside a heterogeneous food for providing barrier between the
heterogeneous components.

These additional benefits together with tougher environmental legislation, consumer

expectations for a variety of fresh foods, need for extended shelf life foods and
opportunities for new foods with edible barriers have stimulated the interested in edible
packaging.

The self-supporting edible films have a variety of applications. They are useful as
coatings, adhesives, controlled release carriers or food wrappings. Edible films may also

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Self Supporting Edible Films

be used for such purposes as the fabrication of bags containing soup mixes that are added
to boiling water for "instant" soup.

Films and fibers may also be prepared by a melt process, which involves mixing the
components together with sufficient water to allow the pectin and starch to melt at a
temperature below their decomposition temperatures. For making films, a tubular film
can be made with cool air being blown through the center of the tube to both cool the film
and to impart a biaxial stress to the film. The extrusion process can be utilized to make
articles of varied shapes and profiles by using appropriate dies.

Self-supporting edible films having higher mechanical strength can easily be used as
wrapper for low moisture and confectionery items. In food packaging the use of
multilayer barrier films poses a problem during recycling, as each layer is difficult to
separate.

By using pouches made from self-supporting edible films the problems associated with
the recycling of the films can be overcome. Because of the tensile and mechanical
strength of the product, conventional procedures such as printing and coating may be
performed on the finished product, even in film form. This allows for edible products to
be made with printing on the wrap, with the wrap itself being edible (and even flavored
by inclusion of flavors into the fibrous material). Because of the water resistance of the
materials, the wrap itself could be washed for sanitary purposes and the entire article,
wrapper and all, eaten and digested.

Self-supporting edible films made from glucomannan can be casted in the form of a thin
film on the surface of the sausage or it can be sprayed onto the sausage surface or
extruded sausage can be passed through glucomannan solution.

The fast dissolving orally consumable self-supported edible films can be used to deliver
breath deodorizing agents, antimicrobial agents and salivary stimulants to the oral cavity.
The films can also be used to deliver pharmaceutically active agents. The konjac flour

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Self Supporting Edible Films

gels have been reported for use as self-supporting edible films for use as a collagen
replacement.

Though the concept of using self- supporting edible films seems to be simple the total
replacement of the synthetic packaging materials still needs lots of research inputs as well
as government support. The development of these films is still in nascent stage but it will
see a bright future.

References:
1. Chen; L., Ruan; R. R., Johnson; J. E., Addis; P. B., Xu; Li, Yi,; L., U. S. Patent
5,817,381 (1998)
2. Fishman; M. L. and Coffin; D. R., U. S. Patent 5,451,673 (1995)
3. Merritt, II F. M., U. S. Patent 5,962,053 (1999)
4. Chen; L, Ruan R. R., Addis; P. B., Xu; Li, Yi,; L., U. S. Patent 6,083,582 (2000)
5. Averbach; B. L. U. S Patent 5,130,150 (1992)
6. Averbach; B. L. U. S Patent 5,130,151 (1992)
7. Wageningen University, Department of Agrotechnology and Food Sciences.
Processing of Agricultural Raw Materials for Non-Food Products. P050-217
8. Leung; S. H. S., Leone; R. S., Kumar; L. D., U. S. Patent 6,596,298 (2003)
9. Merritt, II F. M., U. S. Patent 5,695,800 (1997)

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