No abstract

The accumulation of non-biodegradable food packaging waste causes huge pollution to the environment, has become a major issue. Currently, the use of edible and biodegradable packaging for food applications to avoid the generation of waste is a fast-emerging eco-friendly technology with increased attention. The edible packaging; films and coatings synthesized from biodegradable sources like polysaccharides, lipids, proteins and composites can be consumed without disposing them to the environment. These can be used on different foods by functioning as barriers to moisture, vapours and other solutes, also by reducing lipid oxidation and discolouration. They perform multiple functions as carriers for active compounds and have the ability to release them at a controlled rate to the packed food, which significantly extends the shelf-life and hence, improves the quality of food. This review focuses on the recent researches on the innovative biopolymer-based edible packaging, an alternative to synthetic nonedible packaging.

Accumulation of non-biodegradable plastics is causing high levels of environmental pollution. Currently, edible and biodegradable films and coatings for food and nutraceutical applications are a fast emerging technology with increased attention among researchers and consumers, which acts as an alternative to these synthetic plastics. Edible coatings are most commonly developed from polysaccharides and proteins. Among polysaccharides, seaweed-based polysaccharides play a vital role. These seaweed-based polysaccharides, which are utilized in the development of edible coatings and films, include Agar, Alginate, and carrageenan. Alginates are extracted from brown algae, while agar and carrageenan are extracted from red algae varieties. These developed coatings and films are commonly applied to extend the shelf life and maintain the desired quality level in food. These films or coatings can be applied to foods such as fruits, vegetables, meat, poultry, seafood, and dairy products. They improve the quality of the product by retarding moisture loss, reducing lipid oxidation and discoloration, sealing in volatile flavors, and functioning as carriers of food additives such as antimicrobial and antioxidant agents. This book chapter discusses the application of seaweed-based biodegradable films and coatings for food and nutraceuticals.