Development of active edible coating and

biodegradable packaging for food

application
Monique Lacroix, Ph.D.
Professor
Research Laboratories in Sciences Applied to Food
INRS-Institut Armand-Frappier
531 des Prairies blvd.
Laval city, Qubec, Canada H7V 1B7
Monique.lacroix@iaf.inrs.ca
www.iaf.inrs.ca
Tel: 1 450 687 5010 ext 4489
International Conference and Exhibition on
Biopolymers and Bioplastics
August 11,2015, San Francisco, USA

INRS, 2014

Edible coating: definition

Primary purpose of food coating is to provides a barrier to
microorganisms, to moisture, to gas and to solute migration
in food.
Edible coating is normally applied on food surface and where
a thin layer edible film is formed directly on food surfaces or
between different layers.

Edible coating: potential

Edible coatings can
Extend the shelf life of the food by the inhibition of the microbial growth
and by the improvement of the quality of food system
Preservation of bioactive nutrients
Inhibition of oxidation (inhibition of gaz transfert)
Preservation of physico-chemical (ex: texture, color) and organoleptic
properties of food
Protection of probiotic bacteria viability

Biobased packaging
Packaging containing raw materials
originating from agricultural sources
produced from renewable, biological raw
materials such as starch, cellulose and
bio-derived monomers

Global market of packaging

$ 417 Billion
100 000 industries
5 Millions employees
Food Packaging represent
65% of the market
USA: $100 Billion
Japan: $80 Billion
Germany: $29 Billion
France: $19 Billion

Driving in coating and

packaging innovation
Increasing consumer demand for ready to eat foods
Environmental issue: recycling, biodegradability
Request for fewer or no additive and preservation
Change in retail and distribution practices associated with
globalization
Stricter requirements regarding consumer health and safety

Post-process contamination
66% of the post-process contamination is
caused by
Product mishandling
Faulty packaging

PROBLEMATIC ISSUES
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates
that 48 million people get sick due to foodborne diseases in
USA annually.
In Canada, the foodborne illness is estimated as more than 11
million episodes/year
Therefore, controlling of food pathogens in food
products are very important.

Listeria

Salmonella

E.coli

Campylobacter

Post-processing protection by
Active packaging
Active coating
Has been proposed as an

Innovative approach

that can be also applied to ready-to-eat

products to minimize or prevent the growth of
pathogenic microorganisms

Active edible coating and packaging

refers to the incorporation of additives or
extracts from natural sources into
packaging or coating systems to
increase the shelf life of foods and then
to provide a high-quality products
(fresh/safe).

Active Coating and Packaging

Active coating and packaging allow
interaction with food products and the
environment and play a dynamic role
in food protection

Active packaging
Delay oxidation
Delay microbial growth
Assure innocuity of foods
Control the respiration
Delay moisture migration
Absorb CO2
Remove ethylene and aroma emitters
Absorb drip

Better protection of the food quality and reduce the

waste level

Example of edible coating:barrier properties

Rancidity
Chocolate firm
Fat bloom

Rejection by the
consumer
Return the product to
the producer

edible coating: transport limitation of unsaturated fatty acids

Chocolate

almond

Oil

Results
Diffusion of oil based on the addition of
various polymers

Milk proteins have high nutritional value

They are available in large amounts world-wide
They have been extensively investigated as edible coatings
and films

Edible coating: antioxydant properties

Application against the browning of fresh fruits and vegetables
enzymatic browning
Stabilizing the whiteness of the product

Control

Coated

Edible coating:antimicrobial properties

Application against the growth of molds on strawberries
Protective barrier against moisture
shelf life of strawberries
100

Contamination (%)

80

60

40

20

Control
Base
Base+PLS

0
0

10

20

Storage time (days)

30

40

Chitosan
O
HO
NH2

O
HO

OH

OH

OH

OH

O
NH2

O
HO

NH2

O
HO
O

NH
CH3

Natural polysaccharides, the second most

abundant after cellulose
Poor mechanical properties, lack of water
resistance
High water permeability
High gases barriers
It has a broad antimicrobial spectrum

Chemical modification of chitosan

N-acylation of chitosan
Functionalization of chitosan with fatty acid derivatives
allowed
hydrophobicity and emulsifiying properties
Stabilization of active compounds in chitosan
(encapsulation matrix)

According to Han et al. (2008)

b) PLA-NCC-nisin

film

3450-3150

Modified chitosan-based coating on strawberries

In situ antimicrobial activity

RT, PM EOs and LIM were

the most efficient
preservative agents in
strawberries during
storage.
Efficient method to
preserve the quality of
strawberries up to 12 days

Evolution of the decay level (%) in antimicrobial coated strawberries during storage.

b) PLA-NCC-nisin

film

3450-3150

Modified chitosan-based coating on strawberries

In situ antimicrobial activity

Appearance of strawberries coated with modified chitosan-based formulation

containing limonene and emulsifiers.

Encapsulation for the preservation of Nutrients and

functional products using modified chitosan

Retention of -caroten (%)

during storage at 45 C and 100%
RH
after encapsulation with modified
chitosan

LAB
Protection during gastro
intestinal passage
encapsulation in polymer
Based on modified chitosan,
Modified alginate

10 9
pH 1.5 -2.5

10 6-10 7
Bacteria

polymer

Viability of L. rhamnosus RW-9595M

***
**

* *

(FC: Free BAL; NA: native alg.; SA: modified alg. ;

SC: modified chitosan; PA modified alg.).

The use of edible coating in combined

treatment
to increase the antimicrobial property

Coating application of modified

chitosan-based coating on ready
to eat vegetables

Control (air)
Coating (air)
MAP
MAP+Coating

-1
-2

-2

Log N/N0

Log N/N 0

Control (air)
MAP
Coating (air)
MAP+ Coating

-1

-3
-4

-4

0.083

0.383
0.295

0.061

-5

-3

0.110

-5

0.102

0.202

-6

0.332

-6

0.0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

0.7

Irradiation doses (KGy)

Radiosensitization of E. coli on green

bean samples as affected by coating
formulation under various atmospheres

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

Irradiation doses (KGy)

Radiosensitization of S. Typhimurium
on green bean samples as affected by
coating formulation under various
atmospheres

D10 values of selected pathogens and

total microflora in broccoli florets
coated with active coating
Bacteria

Control

OA/LAB
metabolites

OA/FE

OA/FE/SM

OA/SE

L.
monocytogenes

0.4

0.29

0.3

0.27

0.3

E. coli

0.38

0.2*

0.16*

0.24

0.23

S. Typhimurium

0.50

0.2*

0.29*

0.28*

0.25*

Aerobic flora

0.57

0.36*

0.32*

0.38

0.33

OA: organic acid mixture; LAB: mixture of LAB ferment; FE: fruit extracts;
SM: spice mixture; SE: spice extract

Irradiation treatment from 0 to 3.3 kGy

Effect of bioactive coating containing carvacrol in combination with modified

atmosphere packaging and gamma irradiation (0.25 kGy)
on population of E. coli on green beans samples during storage at 4 C
Day 1

Day 3

Day 5

Day 7

Day 9

Day 11

Day 13

Control

2.98Aa

3.03Aa

3.10ABa

3.14ABa

3.18Ba

3.41Ca

3.95Da

MAP

3.02Aa

3.19Aa

3.05ABa

3.01ABa

2.80Bb

2.98ABb

3.01ABb

Coating (air)

2.45ABb

2.15Ab

2.57Bb

1.40Cb

1.25Cc

ND

ND

Coating+MAP

2.64Ab

2.59ABc

2.30Bb

1.66Cb

1.19Dc

ND

ND

(air)

1.71Ac

1.26Bd

1.18Bc

ND

ND

ND

ND

+MAP

1.62Acd

1.45Be

1.19Cc

ND

ND

ND

ND

+coating (air)

1.30Ad

1.35Ade

1.25Ac

ND

ND

ND

ND

+coating+MAP

ND

ND

ND

ND

ND

ND

ND

Values are means standard deviations. Means with different lowercase letters within the same column
are significantly different (P 0.05), while means with different uppercase letters within each treatment lot
are significantly different (P 0.05); MAP: (60% O2, 30% CO2, and 10% N2).

Bacterial population on refrigerated pizzas as

affected by gamma irradiation and edible coating based
on milk proteins
C,3 days

2 kGy, 14D

1-2 kGy > 21 D

8

1 kGy,12D

5
4
3

0 kGy

1 kGy
2 kGy

1
0
0

10

15

20

Storage time (d)

Irradiation alone

25

log CFU/g

Log CFU/g

C,17D

5
4
3

0 kGy

1 kGy
2 kGy

1
0
0

10

15

20

25

Storage time (d)

Irradiation + edible coating

The highly hydrophilic nature of protein coatings

can limits their functional utilization
Therefore, formations of cross- linked proteins can
produce a strong, flexible film or coating.

Formation of bityrosine in calcium caseinate films

as a function of irradiation dose
Fluorescence intensity
(a.u)

4000000
3500000
3000000
2500000
2000000
1500000
1000000
500000
0

Base
PEG
Sor
Man

16

32

64

Dose (kGy)

92 128

Fraction of insoluble matter in function of the irradiation dose

Results are expressed as the percentage in solid yield after soaking the
films 24 hours in water

W e ight yield (%)

80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
4

16

32
64
Dose (kGy)

96

128

Log UFC/CM2

Effect of crosslinked films based on milk proteins

containing essential oils on
E.coli 0157:H7 growth on beef
4,0
3,8
3,6
3,4
3,2
3,0
2,8

Beef without film

film with pepper

pepper +
origano extract

2,6
2,4
2,2
2,0

Origano extract

Temps (jour)

ADFs: New generation of antimicrobial device

CNC filling
in MC matrix

Trilayer film
PCL/MC/PCL

Encapsulation of
natural antimicrobials

Synthesis of Antimicrobial Diffusion Films (ADFs)

(to get advantage from complementary functional properties of
each component and process)

Characterization and application

Preparation of trilayer ADFs as diffusion devices

Principle scheme of compression molding process to prepare composite

trilayer ADFs (MC film content = 30% w/w, dry basis).

ADFs on fresh broccoli

Percentage of total phenolics (TP) release from ADFs during storage
1600

FTIR analysis of volatiles diffusivity

of antimicrobials encapsulated in
ADFs (from day 0 to day 14).
Continue diffusion (controlled
release) of volatiles can be
monitored by quantification of FTIR
bands:
Aromatic stretching (1600 and 1515
cm-1)
Ester antisym stretching (1265 cm-1)

Day 0

Day 2

Day 6

13

Day

1265

1515

FTIR spectra of bioactive ADF internal layer in fingerprint area (1200-1800 cm-1)
for the estimation of TP release (diffusion of volatiles).

ADFs on fresh broccoli

Percentage of total phenolics (TP) release from ADFs during storage
Slow diffusion of antimicrobial
volatiles towards headspace
environment
Slight of diffusion to 14-17%
Good correlation obtained between
the 2 methods (FTIR at 1600 cm-1 vs
Folin-Ciocalteu)
TP release (%) from bioactive ADFs during storage, deduced from TP availability
in films by Folin-Ciocalteus method.

ADFs on fresh broccoli

Microbiolgical analysis

Total inhibition of E. coli at

day 12
Stronger effect of
formulation A at day 4

Antimicrobial effect of trilayer ADFs on E. coli during storage of broccoli (12 days
at 4C).

ADFs on fresh broccoli

Microbiolgical analysis

Total inhibition of S.
Typhimurium at day 7
Stronger antimicrobial
efficiency against gramnegative bacteria

Antimicrobial effect of trilayer ADFs on S. Typhimurium during storage of

broccoli (12 days at 4C).

Summary
Edible coating and Biodegradable packaging based on Natural polymers
can be used

To protect food quality

To carry natural antimicrobial compounds

The functionalisation of the polymer can improve the protection and the
release rate of the immobilized active compounds
Crosslinking reaction of natural polymers can improve the physicochemical properties of the films and their stability during storage time
of the packaged food

Summary

ADFs (trilayer assembly) and encapsulation of natural

antimicrobials showed strong inhibiting capacity against E. coli and
S. Typhimurium over storage.

These films could further be explored in food applications to

prevent pathogenic contamination during storage of fresh food,
based on a controlled release of volatiles into headspace of
packaging.

Summary
Edible active coating and packaging could be used
in combination with modified packaging and
pasteurization treatments to increase the bacterial
sensitivity and to assure food safety

Monique Lacroix, Ph.D.

Professor/Director
Research Laboratories in Sciences Applied to Food
Canadian Irradiation Centre
INRS-Institut Armand-Frappier
531 des Prairies blvd.
Laval city, Qubec, Canada H7V 1B7
Monique.lacroix@iaf.inrs.ca
www.iaf.inrs.ca
Tel: 1 450 687 5010 ext 4489