Edible coatings are an environmentally friendly technology that is applied on many products to control moisture transfer, gas exchange or oxidation processes. ... Color change, firmness loss, ethanol fermentation, decay ratio and weight loss of edible film coated fruits need to be monitored.
Edible coatings can be applied on food surfaces as a thin layer edible film. Edible coatings can potentially extend the shelf life and improve the quality of food by the control of mass transfer, moisture and oil diffusion, gas permeability (O2, CO2), and flavor and aroma losses and by maintaining mechanical, rheological characteristics, color and appearance of foods. Edible film as a solid sheet can be applied between food components or on the surface of the food system in order to inhibit migration moisture, oxygen, CO2, aromas and lipids. Edible films with adequate mechanical properties could also serve as edible packaging for selected foods. In this chapter, the methods to produce protein-based films and coating, the properties of protein-based films and coatings and their applications in food systems are presented. The selected proteins are originated from animal and plant sources consisting of caseins, whey proteins, collagen and gelatin, plasma proteins, myofibrillar proteins, egg white proteins, soy protein, wheat gluten and zein. Further, the current development and the potentials of application of protein-based nanocomposites for food preservation are also presented.