Chitosan based edible films and coatings: A review

Chitosan is a modified, natural biopolymer derived by deacetylation of chitin, a major component of the shells of crustacean. Recently, chitosan has received increased attention for its commercial applications in the biomedical, food, and chemical industries. Use of chitosan in food industry is readily seen due to its several distinctive biological activities and functional properties. The antimicrobial activity and film-forming property of chitosan make it a potential source of food preservative or coating material of natural origin. This review focuses on the applications of chitosan for improvement of quality and shelf life of various foods from agriculture, poultry, and seafood origin.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1750-3841.2007.00383.x

Applications of Chitosan for Improvement of Quality and Shelf Life of Foods: A Review

Over the last years, considerable research has been conducted to develop and apply edible films and coatings made from a variety of agricultural commodities and/or wastes of food product industrialization. Such biopolymers include polysaccharides, proteins, and their blends. These materials present the possibility of being carriers of different additives, such as antimicrobial, antioxidant, nutraceuticals, and flavorings agents. In particular, the use of edibles films and coatings containing antimicrobials has demonstrated to be a useful tool as a stress factor to protect foodstuff against spoilage flora and to decrease the risk of pathogen growth. The more commonly antimicrobials used are organic acids, chitosan, nisin, the lactoperoxidase system, and some plant extracts and their essential oils. For the selection of an antimicrobial, it must be considered the effectiveness against the target microorganism and also the possible interactions among the antimicrobial, the film-forming biopolymer, and other food components present. These interactions can modify the antimicrobial activity and the characteristics of the film being these key factors for the development of antimicrobial films and coatings. The main objective of this article is to review the bibliography of the last years concerning the main hydrocolloids and antimicrobials used for developing edible films and coatings, the methods used to evaluate the antimicrobial activity, the applications and the legislation concerning edible films and coatings. Also, the different strategies related to the modification of structural characteristics and the future trends in the development are discussed. The information update will help to improve the design, development, and application of edible films and coatings tending to increase the safety and quality of food products and to prepare for food legislation changes that might be necessary while identifying future trends concerning a better functionality of edible films thought as a stress factor for lengthening shelf life of food products.

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Development of Edible Films and Coatings with Antimicrobial Activity

One of the major growth segments in the food retail industry is fresh and minimally processed fruits and vegetables. This new market trend has thus increased the demands to the food industry for seeking new strategies to increase storability and shelf life and to enhance microbial safety of fresh produce. The technology of edible coatings has been considered as one of the potential approaches for meeting this demand. Edible coatings from renewable sources, including lipids, polysaccharides, and proteins, can function as barriers to water vapor, gases, and other solutes and also as carriers of many functional ingredients, such as antimicrobial and antioxidant agents, thus enhancing quality and extending shelf life of fresh and minimally processed fruits and vegetables. This review discusses the rationale of using edible coatings on fresh and minimally processed produce, the challenges in developing effective coatings that meet the specific criteria of fruits and vegetables, the recent advances in the development of coating technology, the analytical techniques for measuring some important coating functionalities, and future research needs for supporting a broad range of commercial applications.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1541-4337.2007.00018.x

Innovations in the Development and Application of Edible Coatings for Fresh and Minimally Processed Fruits and Vegetables

Effect of chitosan coating combined with postharvest calcium treatment on strawberry (Fragaria×ananassa) quality during refrigerated storage.

Edible coatings to improve storability and enhance nutritional value of fresh and frozen strawberries (Fragaria × ananassa) and raspberries (Rubus ideaus)

Inhibitory effect of ε-poly-L-lysine on fruit Colletotrichum gloeosporioides through regulating organic acid metabolism and exerting membrane-targeted antifungal activity

C Han

Papers

Edible coatings to improve storability and enhance nutritional value of fresh and frozen strawberries (Fragaria × ananassa) and raspberries (Rubus ideaus)

Inhibitory effect of ε-poly-L-lysine on fruit Colletotrichum gloeosporioides through regulating organic acid metabolism and exerting membrane-targeted antifungal activity