Scope, Functions, and Novelty of Packaging Edibles

Abstract

The idea of edible packaging has been around for a while, but now is the right time to ripe the idea to take hold in the food industry. Due to the prevailing adverse conditions of environmental pollution caused by plastic wastes that endup in soil and freshwater, it has become imperative to find a sustainable packaging solution to replace single-use, lightweight polyethylene polymer plastics for retail marketing. Edible films have been in focus for this purpose because of their biodegradability and additional advantages like partial permeability to moisture and oxygen, along with its role as a carrier of functional ingredients (antimicrobials and antioxidants). Natural biopolymers like starch-based biodegradable edible films are widely accepted because of its competence and abundance. In addition to this, they are easily extractable with high yields, do not affect sensory properties of the food, and can be consumed without any health concerns. They are also found to be significantly cost-effective because of its availability from a wide range of agricultural sources such as cereals or legumes and their by-products, tubers, unripe fruits, and other plant storage organs. The literature suggests that starch-based edible films are based on five main raw materials: corn, maize, wheat, potato, sweet potato, and cassava. And in the recent years, corn starch has been widely used as a raw material for biodegradable polymer production. This chapter discusses the present status of the various sources used to produce starch-based edible films, novelty in starch-based edible packaging, and their effect on the shelf life of certain category of foods.