Recent Advances on Edible Films Based on Fruits and Vegetables—A Review

Abstract

Food packaging materials are traditionally expected to contain foodstuffs and protect them from deteriorating agents. Although petroleum-derived polymers have been widely used for this purpose, the rising concern with their nonrenewable and/or nonbiodegradable nature paves the route for the development of greener alternatives, including polysaccharides and polypeptides. The use of these food-grade biomacromolecules, in addition to fruits and vegetables, provides edible packaging with suitable physical-mechanical properties as well as unique sensory and nutritional characteristics. This text reviews the chronological development pathway of films based on fruit and vegetable purees, pomaces, and extracts. Recent advances are extensively reviewed with an emphasis on the role that each film component plays in the resulting materials, whose production methods are examined from a technical standpoint and essential properties are compiled and contrasted to their conventional, synthetic counterparts. Finally, this comprehensive review discusses advantages and limitations of edible films based on fruits and vegetables.

Combining Cupuassu (Theobroma grandiflorum) Puree, Pectin, and Chitosan Nanoparticles into Novel Edible Films for Food Packaging Applications

“…With the addition of cupuassu puree, the WVP values increased due to the presence of sugars that also act as plasticizers (Otoni et al., ) thereby increasing the mobility of pectin chains and, consequently, increasing interchain distance and enabling a greater diffusion of water vapor molecules. When the CSNPs were added to the pectin/cupuassu puree films, there was a decrease in the WVP.…”

“…In the last years, research in the production of biodegradable and/or bio‐based materials has increased significantly due to the environmental impacts generated by the unrestricted use of synthetic packaging, whose raw materials not only originate from nonrenewable sources, but typically last longer in the environment than their biodegradable counterparts (Mendieta‐Taboada, Carvalho, & Sobral, ). Edible films are a particular class of these ecofriendly materials that has been increasingly exploited lately (Otoni et al., ).…”

Towards Drylands Biorefineries: Valorisation of Forage Opuntia for the Production of Edible Coatings

“…Edible films and coatings are defined as any material used for encapsulating food to extend the shelf-life of the product, that may be eaten with the food with or without removal of the material [11]. The difference between the two materials lies in the way they are applied: films are structures formed separately and then applied to the food surface, while coatings are formed directly on the food surface [12].…”

“…Edible films and coatings represent a sustainable way to increase the shelf-life of numerous products, minimise food waste, and eventually reduce the amount of petroleum-based synthetic packaging used [12,14]. However, reduction of the environmental impact of Opuntia-derived edible films and coatings involves their production from species not used for human consumption.…”

Reducing Packaging Waste – Mechanical Characteristics and Network Parameters of the Gelatin-Based Thin Film for Cruciferous Vegetables Packaging

“…However, gelatin shows sol-gel transition temperature around 37 °C, and its inherent instability presents an obvious problem for its applications in the pure form with reduced mechanical strength and elasticity. The problem can be circumvented by combining gelatin with other natural polymers, while tailoring desired properties of the final product.Numerous studies discuss different combinations of polymers that use glycerol as a food approved plasticizer (Mellinas et al, 2016;Otoni et al, 2017), with the aim at reducing the brittleness of prepared films (Liu et al, 2017;Wang et al, 2011b;Wang et al, 2015). However, the demand for prolonging the shelf life of food has encouraged the development of polyphenols containing gelatin-based films, with slow and controlled antioxidants release (Bao et al, 2009;Gomez-Estaca et al, 2014).…”