Edible films

 

Food makers can improve the shelf life and boost the quality of their products by controlling how the moisture and oxygen flow within their products.  However, there are major differences between the permeabilities of the many available bio-based edible films, coatings and options that allow them to do this.  Making the right choice is crucial, but not easy, as it also varies critically with the way the food is prepared.

 
The permeability of edible films

What can edible foods films for your products? - they can:-

• Increase the food’s shelf life
• Improve its structural properties
• Incorporate pigments, flavours, & additives
• Improve appearance – especially gloss
• Control the movement of oils and fats
• Control the movement of solutes
• Control and reduce water loss
• Control and reduce gas diffusion
• Control the loss of volatile flavours & aromas
• Enhance quarantine treatments

All of these involve understanding, controling and measuring the edible film's permeability. And that's where we can help.

The control of the transfer of moisture (ie permeability) throughout composite food products is the biggest challenge to food preservation. A wide range of edible film-forming compounds is available and this allows manufacturers and food producers to tailor moisture barriers to optimized their properties for each specific product. The only way this can be achieved is through the accurate measurement of the film or coatings permeability.