The role of additives in starch-based edible coatings

Edible films and coating provide a potentially effective method for preserving fresh food products by reducing moisture loss, regulating respiration rate, improving surface smoothness, and or preventing microbial growth during their storage. Concurrently, starch has proven for its inexpensive, non-toxic, and widely available attribute for film and coating production. However, this biopolymer has some shortcomings when making films to preserve food. For this reason, the use of additives in its synthesis is frequent.

Natural Sources

A current review focuses on the effects of additives on the physicochemical barriers, and bioactive properties of starch-based biodegradable polymer films and coating, as well as how these composites comply with the requirements to produce edible and biodegradable food-based films and coating. These biopolymers perform magnificently as transporters for active ingredients isolated from natural sources and can be introduced into packaged foods at a controlled rate. Furthermore, the additives demonstrated antibacterial and antioxidant capabilities in the films or coating, which would improve the shelf stability of coating or packaged food.

The review has been published in Progress in Organic Coatings, Volume 181, August 2023.