Using Natural Products as Edible Films and Coatings for Food Applications

Dear Colleagues,

In addition to aiming to expand the shelf-life of perishable food products, either fresh or processed, preservation technologies currently face several important challenges, including the maintenance (or even improvement) of their characteristics in a healthy and sustainable way and the development of environmentally friendly products.

An edible film or coating is any material with a thickness of less than 0.3 mm, which contains a combination of biopolymers and additives. While the edible coating is formed directly on the food product, the edible film is made in advance, prior to adhesion. These rigid matrices are very important to ensure the quality and safety of food products through the production–distribution–consumption chain. Apart from exploring the interesting mechanical properties of the different materials and the particularities of different systems, researchers have gradually moved toward the idea of developing “active”, “intelligent”, or “functional” biopackages. For example, much emphasis has been put on the use of bioactive compounds—such as phenolic compounds with potent antioxidant activity and natural oils with known antimicrobial activity—in edible films and coats. More recently, the use of rigid matrices as probiotic carriers has also attracted researchers’ attention.

Therefore, the aim of this Special Issue on “Using Natural Products as Edible Films and Coatings for Food Applications” is to present the latest developments in this ever-changing field. The topics of interest include but are not limited to:

• Nanoparticles for food preservation;
• Bioactive compounds and probiotics for food preservation;
• Materials used in edible films and coatings;
• Chemical and physical properties of films and coatings;
• Bioactive properties of edible films and coatings;
• Biopolymers for food packaging;
• New preservation techniques.

Prof. Dr. Leticia M. Estevinho
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Molecules is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.