Recent Progress in Functional Edible Food Packaging Based on Gelatin and Chitosan

Abstract

Nowadays, edible and eco-friendly packaging applications have been studied as an alternative to conventional/synthetic packaging due to the great interest of consumers in healthy, safe, and natural food, and of researchers in meeting the needs of consumers and producers. Various biopolymers are being extensively explored as potential materials for food packaging. The edible biopolymers utilized so far for packaging applications include proteins, lipids, and polysaccharides. Occasionally, these biopolymers have incorporated different bioactive substances to enhance the composite films’ characteristics. Gelatin and chitosan are two of the most important biopolymers for the production of films. Different biopolymers or bioactive substances have been incorporated into the matrix to enhance the gelatin-based and chitosan-based films. By incorporating other biopolymers and bioactive compounds, the composite films’ overall physicochemical and mechanical characteristics are improved. Additionally, by incorporating bioactive compounds (polyphenolic compounds, natural extracts, and essential oils), the composite films present important biological properties, such as antioxidant and antimicrobial activities.

Edible Packaging: A Technological Update for the Sustainable Future of the Food Industry

“…Essential oils have good antimicrobial and antioxidant properties and can reduce lipid oxidation, improving the shelf life of foods [89]. Chitosan films supplemented with active agents have potential applications in meat preservation because of their antimicrobial properties.…”

Current Status of Marine Animal Derived Polysaccharides in Sustainable Food Packaging

“…It has been demonstrated that chitosan is nontoxic, biodegradable, biofunctional, and biocompatible, as well as having antibacterial properties. , Chitosan has the benefit of being able to contain useful elements like vitamins or minerals and has antibacterial activity when compared with other biobased food packaging materials. As a result, chitosan has been employed as a material for food packaging to preserve food quality. , …”

Characterization of a Graphene Oxide-Reinforced Whey Hydrogel as an Eco-Friendly Absorbent for Food Packaging

“…Gelatin can be used to obtain edible films [ 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 ] for meat products [ 30 , 31 ] or post-harvest fruit and vegetable [ 32 , 33 , 34 , 35 ] preservation. Mechanical properties such as fragility, rigidity, and brittleness are common in gelatin films, which often require the addition of other compounds to improve their performance such as chitosan [ 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 ], sodium alginate [ 40 ], grapefruit-seed extract and TiO 2 [ 41 ], starch [ 42 ], and plant extracts [ 43 , 44 ]. Whey is a water-soluble compound, with the highest proportion in the composition of milk, in which valuable proteins are dissolved, conferring it with an appreciable nutritional value.…”