Use of by-products in edible coatings and biodegradable packaging materials for food preservation

• A large part of the by-products of plant and animal origin are sources of different valuable compounds, such as polysaccharides or proteins, which are useful materials for developing edible or biodegradable coatings and film formulations. Nowadays, this has acquired great importance in the development of new materials for substituting, at least partially, the traditional food packaging plastics, which show significant shortcomings in terms of their environmental impact. This also implies the use of renewable resources instead of the limited petroleum reserves.Alternative and novel materials, which possess commercial potential, are those derived from under-used food products, renewable resources and the valorisation of agro-industrial and marine wastes. The exploitation of these materials additionally provides added value to the waste products and represents an attractive alternative to the non-renewable sources, in the framework of circular economy. In addition, most of them are not just biodegradable, but are also edible, or can even be considered as active compounds (e.g. with antimicrobial or antioxidant properties), thereby contributing to the development of new sustainable packaging strategies for food preservation. In this chapter, these alternative materials are explored and the benefits and drawbacks are addressed.

Ämnesord

TEKNIK OCH TEKNOLOGIER  -- Kemiteknik -- Polymerteknologi (hsv//swe)

ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY  -- Chemical Engineering -- Polymer Technologies (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Active compounds

Animal biopolymers

Antimicrobial

Antioxidant

Plant biopolymers

Reinforced agents

Publikations- och innehållstyp

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