Coatings and Interfacial Films for Food Applications—Themed Issue to Celebrate Prof. Raffaele Porta’s Career
A special issue of Coatings (ISSN 2079-6412). This special issue belongs to the section "Coatings for Food Technology and System".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 September 2021) | Viewed by 42837
Special Issue Editors
Interests: biopolymers; edible films; reticulating enzymes
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: hydrocolloid-based films; renewable sources; microbial transglutaminase; film technological features
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: surface tension; interfacial rheology; monolayer; foams; emulsions; atomic force microscopy; food science; digestion; colloids
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
In 2021, Coatings will be publishing a special issue for celebrating Professor Raffaele Porta's career and his outstanding contributions in the field of transglutaminase enzyme as reticulating agent of hydrocolloid-based edible films and bioplastics.
Since the last decade, large amounts of plastic materials have been used for disposable materials, such as food and beverage packages. However, for environmental reasons, there is a desire to replace petroleum-based plastic materials with materials based on renewable resources. This has led to a growing interest in edible films to be used for the protection of food products, in substitution of materials consisting of synthetic polymers. Edible packaging films and coatings have been particularly considered in food preservation, because of their capability to improve global food quality. An edible coating or film has been defined as a thin, continuous layer of edible material formed or placed on or between foods or food components. Edible films can act as mechanical protection, moisture and gas barriers and, at the same time, can preserve the color, texture, and moisture of the coated product. Coating materials that are currently used include polysaccharides, proteins, and lipids. The functional properties of edible coatings are greatly influenced by parameters such as formulation, film forming technology, solvent characteristics, and additives. Moreover, increasing interest in the food industry has been drawn to the development of novel active films/coatings as food packaging materials.
Fundamental interfacial aspects of solutions used for film preparations can have enormous implications in the manufacture of coatings. Accordingly, understanding the interfacial behavior of polysaccharides, proteins, and/or lipids provides basic knowledge, which is important for the rational design of novel materials. The interfacial aspects of dispersed systems can determine the texture and stability of food products, and monolayers provide a model system for understanding interactions at the interface.
We invite investigators to contribute original research articles, as well as review articles, focused on the development strategies for rationally designing packaging systems with potential health and environmental benefits. Achieving this requires a multidisciplinary approach, bringing together Life and Material Science. Fundamental aspects of Material Science are required to characterize the engineering properties of the solutions utilized for film preparation.
Potential topics include, but not limited to:
(1) Production of edible coatings based on renewable sources, such as carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids;
(2) Recent advances in active coatings containing different additives, to enhance the functional and organoleptic properties of the packaged products:
- antioxidants;
- anti-browning agents;
- nutraceuticals;
- texture enhancers, flavors;
- color ingredients.
(3) Development of specific edible coatings to enhance the shelf-life and quality of different foods;
(4) Interfacial characterization of films with technological applications in food products and monolayers.
Prof. Dr. Loredana Mariniello
Dr. C. Valeria L. Giosafatto
Dr. Julia Maldonado-Valderrama
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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