R E C I P R O C AT I O N S E S S I O N

Application of Edible FFilms

ilms and Coatings on Meats
Aristippos Gennadios* and Susan S. Sumner

Introduction 5) Volatile flavor loss from and foreign odor pick-up by meat
may be restricted with edible coatings;
Edible films and coatings from renewable biopolymers can
6) Seasonings and/or browning agents may be imbedded into
extend food shelf life by functioning as solute, gas, and vapor
coatings and applied to meat products prior to cooking;
barriers. There is interest in the development of edible pack-
7) Used as active packagings, edible coatings carrying anti-
aging due to food processors needs for novel storage tech-
oxidants (e.g., tocopherols) and/or antimicrobials (e.g., or-
niques, environmental concerns over disposal of non-renew-
ganic acids) may be used for direct treatment of meat sur-
able food packaging materials, and opportunities for creating
faces, thereby delaying meat rancidity and discoloration
new market outlets for film-forming ingredients derived from
and reducing microbial loads;
under-utilized agricultural commodities. Several lipid (e.g.,
8) Oil uptake by meat products during deep-fat frying may be
waxes, long-chain fatty acids, and acetylated glycerides),
reduced through application of coatings prior to battering
polysaccharide (e.g., starch and its derivatives, cellulose
and breading;
ethers, alginate, carrageenan, pectin, pullulan, and gellan
9) Coatings may reduce meat charring and stickiness to the
gum), and protein (e.g., collagen, gelatin, whey protein,
cooking surface during broiling/grilling.
casein, wheat gluten, corn zein, soy protein, and egg albu-
men) biopolymers have been investigated as edible film-form-
Examples of Commercialized Edible Meat Coatings
ing ingredients.
Edible meat casings from regenerated collagen have been
Potential Benefits from Use of used for over 60 years. In the 1950s, application of strippable
Edible Coatings on Meats wax coatings on frozen meats was common. Extruded
hydroxypropylated high amylose starch films (trade name
Potential benefits to the meat industry from using edible
Ediflex) intended for frozen meats were commercially avail-
coatings include:
able in the 1960s. Meat coatings based on acetylated
1) Application of edible coatings prior to vacuum-packaging
monoglycerides (trade name Dermatex) and alginate (trade
of meat may prevent moisture loss, thereby maintaining
name Flavor-Tex) were marketed in the 1970s and 1980s.
saleable weight and alleviating texture, flavor, and color
Edible films from collagen (trade name Coffi) and carrageenan
changes;
(trade name Soafil) were marketed in the late 1980s. Spice-
2) Edible coatings on meat cuts may hold in juices, prevent
laden edible films from pullulan are currently marketed in
dripping, enhance product presentation, and eliminate the
Japan for application on meats and other food products.
need for placing absorbent pads at the bottom of plastic
retail trays;
Commercialization Challenges
3) Lipid and myoglobin oxidation in meats may be reduced
by using edible coatings of low oxygen permeability; Besides collagen casings, edible packaging has found lim-
4) Edible coating solutions which have been heated just prior ited applications in the meat industry. Challenges to wide
to application may reduce the loads of spoilage and patho- commercialization of edible packaging that need to be ad-
genic microorganisms and partially inactivate proteolytic dressed include:
enzymes at the surface of coated meat cuts; 1) The high cost (>$2.00/kg) of film-forming biopolymers (with
the exemption of starch and certain starch derivatives) com-
pared to synthetic packaging materials;
A. Gennadios, Banner Pharmacaps Inc. 2) The need for effective, economical, and microbiologically
High Point, NC. safe methods for applying edible coatings on meat prod-
S.S. Sumner, Department of Food Science & Technology ucts on an industrial scale;
Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University
Blacksburg, VA.

Reciprocal Meat Conference Proceedings, Volume 52, 1999.

52nd Annual Reciprocal Meat Conference 57

3) The poor barrier properties of most polysaccharide- and
protein-based edible films at high relative humidity envi-
ronments;
4) The possibility for adverse organoleptic effects introduced
by edible coatings; and
5) The dietary allergies and intolerances associated with vari-
ous protein film-formers.
References
Reviews
Gennadios, A., Hanna, M.A. & Kurth, L.B. 1997. Application of edible coat-
ings on meats, poultry and seafoods: a review. Lebensmittel - Wissenschaft
und Technologie, 30:337-350.
Gontard, N. & Guilbert, S. 1994. Biopackaging: technology and properties
of edible and/or biodegradable material of agricultural origin. In: Food
Packaging and Preservation, Mathlouthi, M. (Ed.), pp. 159-181. Blackie
Academic & Professional, London.
Krochta, J.M. & De Mulder-Johnston, C.D. 1997. Edible and biodegradable
polymer films: challenges and opportunities. Food Technology, 51(2):61-
74.
Krochta, J.M., Baldwin, E.A. & Nisperos-Carriedo, M. 1994. Edible Coatings
and Films to Improve Food Quality. Technomic Publishing Company,
Lancaster, PA.
58
Research Articles
Herald, T.J., Hachmeister, K.A., Huang, S. & Bowers, J.R. 1996. Corn zein
packaging materials for cooked turkey. Journal of Food Science, 61:415-
417, 421.
Padgett, T., Han, I.Y. & Dawson, P.L. 1998. Incorporation of food-grade anti-
microbial compounds into biodegradable packaging films. Journal of Food
Protection, 61:1330-1335.
Siragusa, G.R. & Dickson, J.S. 1992. Inhibition of Listeria monocytogenes on
beef tissue by application of organic acids immobilized in a calcium algi-
nate gel. Journal of Food Science, 57:293-296.
Trade Articles
Anonymous. 1997. Edible films solve problems. Food Technology, 51(2):60.
Hegenbart, S. 1996. The changing face of shelf life. Food Product Design,
6(1):31-32, 35-36, 39-40, 42, 45-46, 48.
Rice, J. 1994. Whats new in edible films. Food Processing, 55(7):61-62.
U.S. Patents
Cook, R.B. & Shulman, M.L. 1998. Colloidal dispersions of gluten, method
for making and use therefor. U.S. patent 5,736,178.
Naga, M., Kirihara, S., Tokugawa, Y., Tsuda, F., Saito, T. & Hirotsuka, M. 1996.
Process for producing edible proteinaceous film. U.S. patent 5,569,482.
Rebstock, D.A. & Thota, H.A.P. 1996. Food product coated with an edible
artificial skin forming composition. U.S. patent 5,525,362.
Reutimann, E. 1996. Process of preparing a film-coated meat product. U.S.
patent 5,540,944.
American Meat Science Association