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Edible coatings will be the packaging of the future

erol. However, using high quantities of plastifier in a coating results in an increase in its permeability to water vapour, and its applications are thus very limited. In order to set this deficiency off, mesquite gum was incorporated into the milk serum protein. This is a polysaccharide that grows in dry and semi-arid regions of the north of Mexico. The result is a compound film that is resistant and that maintains suitable mechanical properties. The use of mesquite gum is an economical and efficacious alternative with a promising future, not only for food conservation, but it could also become an economic resource for indigenous peoples, currently marginalized, as well as having the effect of reducing the desertisation of the soil.

The edible coating of fruit is currently the best-known example of the application. However, it is a packaging system particularly efficacious for conserving foodstuffs that are high in polysaturated fatty acids, susceptible to oxidation, such as nuts, meat and certain fish such as salmon.

In his PhD, Javier Osés evaluated to what extent the edible films which he had developed were able to protect fatty foods. To this end, he used a model foodstuff ?sunflower oil. In a first stage, trials were carried out with WPI coatings. Results showed that the protection capacity of the film depended on the amount of plastifier in the film, on its thickness and on the relative humidity of storage of the foodstuff. Thus, the most efficient WPI films were those of greater thickness, with less amount of plastifier and that had been exposed to low relative humidity.

The second stage involved a similar experiment, but with films made of starch, known to be an efficient barrier to oxygen, and with which trials were undertaken. In this case, the thickness of the film did not influence the protector effect on the oil, but it was shown that starch films are more effective in ambiences with high relative humidity.

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Source:Elhuyar Fundazioa


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