Edible packaging: a vehicle for functional compounds

Nowadays, innovations constantly appear in food packaging, which lead to a demand for new foods, always aiming at creating a more efficient quality preservation system. Edible coatings and films are a good attempt to increase the storability of foods, controlling gas exchange, moisture, solutes migration, and oxidative reaction rates. In addition to these gains, edible coating/films can be used as carriers of bioactive compounds to improve the quality and enhance the nutritional value of food products, such as antimicrobials, antioxidants, flavors, probiotics, and other components, such as nutraceuticals or basic nutrients. Therefore, these approaches, in addition to being used to prolong shelf life, also provide functionality to food products. When the functional compounds are incorporated into the edible coating/film to perform their functions, they became a benefit for food as well as for consumers. Furthermore, the functional compounds are protected from the external factors and controlled release is allowed. In this sense, the aim of this chapter is to analyze the potential use of edible coatings and films incorporated with functional compounds, solve the disadvantages of direct application, and find the correct combination between the food product and the edible coating/film, which will ensure the success of the technology.