Application of Whey Protein-Based Edible Films and Coatings in Food Industries: An Updated Overview

Abstract

The recent surge in environmental awareness and consumer demand for stable, healthy, and safe foods has led the packaging and food sectors to focus on developing edible packaging materials to reduce waste. Edible films and coatings as a modern sustainable packaging solution offer significant potential to serve as a functional barrier between the food and environment ensuring food safety and quality. Whey protein is one of the most promising edible biopolymers in the food packaging industry that has recently gained much attention for its abundant nature, safety, and biodegradability and as an ecofriendly alternative of synthetic polymers. Whey protein isolate and whey protein concentrate are the two major forms of whey protein involved in the formation of edible films and coatings. An edible whey film is a dry, highly interacting polymer network with a three-dimensional gel-type structure. Films/coatings made from whey proteins are colorless, odorless, flexible, and transparent with outstanding mechanical and barrier properties compared with polysaccharide and other-protein polymers. They have high water vapor permeability, low tensile strength, and excellent oxygen permeability compared with other protein films. Whey protein-based films/coatings have been successfully demonstrated in certain foods as vehicles of active ingredients (antimicrobials, antioxidants, probiotics, etc.), without considerably altering the desired properties of packaging films that adds value for subsequent industrial applications. This review provides an overview of the recent advances on the formation and processing technologies of whey protein-based edible films/coatings, the incorporation of additives/active ingredients for improvement, their technological properties, and potential applications in food packaging.

Characterization of Antimicrobial Composite Edible Film Formulated from Fermented Cheese Whey and Cassava Peel Starch

“…The addition of soybean protein to starch-based edible film composites resulted in a lower water solubility value than the whey protein composite; this indicates that the whey protein composite film showed a better reaction to water vapour [28]. Composite edible film from whey protein and starch showed superior characteristics, with thinner film thickness, lower tensile strength, and higher flexibility than soy protein [24,29].…”

The Influence of the Structure of Selected Polymers on Their Properties and Food-Related Applications

“…One of the most promising edible polymers to be potentially used as a food packaging material is whey protein in the form of whey protein isolate and concentrate. The whey film is characterised by a 3D gel-type structure being dry, colourless, odourless, flexible, and transparent with excellent mechanical and barrier properties [ 65 ]. The bovine milk-derived immunoglobulin-enriched whey film showed enhanced adhesion and tensile strength as well as better transparency [ 66 ].…”

Milk protein-based active edible packaging for food applications: An eco-friendly approach

“…The abundance of whey protein and its potential to make foams, gels, emulsions, and biogenic material piques the interest of the packaging industry, allowing its usage as films/coatings on the external surface of food, to shield goods from chemical or microbial degradation, hence extending shelf life and maintaining excellent product standards ( 22 ). Whey protein films are garnering increased attention for their biodegradable and edible nature; mechanical and barrier qualities as they surpass polysaccharides and other protein-based films derived from other sources and also as a carrier for bioactive components in active films ( 23 , 24 ). The embodiment of silver nanoparticles in whey protein concentrates edible films ameliorated the moisture impermeability by 67% as well as the tensile strength by 84% of the films.…”