Anti-microbial Edible Films and Their Applications to Improve Food Quality and Reduce Environmental Pollution: A Review

Abstract

In view of modern trends towards protecting the environment of food packaging materials, along with preserving food quality and safety, especially about the use of industrial packaging materials, especially non-degradable plastic materials, and the health and environmental damage resulting from their widespread use. Therefore, the current article included highlighting the preparation of anti-microbial Edible Films from natural biological sources, as many types of bacteria, algae and yeasts can produce biopolymers with properties suitable for food packaging, at the same time they are automatically degradable in the environment. The attention of specialists turned towards Edible Films, a natural, biological alternative that is edible and safe for health, at the same time does not cause environmental pollution. This technique has been applied to different types of fresh and processed foods. There are many natural biological sources for preparing edible films, such as proteins (such as milk proteins, wheat gluten, corn zein, etc.), polysaccharides (starch, pectin, cellulose and its derivatives, chitosan, carrageenan, etc.), lipids such as (waxes and glycerides), or a mixture of these compounds. The manufacture of these membranes provides many desirable properties in food, such as maintaining the moisture of the food, preventing the loss of volatile aromatic flavor compounds, reducing the migration of fats, and prolonging the storage life of the food by inhibiting microbial growth and incorporating substances into the membrane solution such as antimicrobials or antioxidants, and food additives, thus improving the appearance, sensory and nutritional properties of the food product.