Whey Protein-Based Edible Films and Coatings in Food Industry

Abstract

Consumer demand for products with health benefits and natural ingredients is significant for the expansion of functional foods. Edible films and coatings are an excellent way to diversify the market for functional foods and as substitutes for the prevailing packaging and products. Incorporation of whey protein (WP) and its active ingredients into edible films and coatings is a promising technique that can be applied to various food products. Numerous combinations can be used on an industrial scale depending on the purpose, product, nature of the film, type of active ingredient, and type of inclusions. In this review, we describe several characteristics of edible WP films and coatings used as novel packaging materials. WP-based packaging can play a beneficial role in sustainability because of the option of recycling materials rather than incinerating, as in synthetic laminates, because of the use of natural byproducts from the food industry as raw materials. However, cost-effectiveness is a driving force against industrial setbacks in current and future WP processing developments. The industrial application of this new technology depends on further scientific research aimed at identifying the mechanism of film formation to improve the performance of both the process and product. Furthermore, research such as consumer studies and long-term toxicity assessments are required to obtain significant market shares.