WATER-VAPOR PERMEABILITY OF EDIBLE BILAYER FILMS OF WHEAT GLUTEN AND LIPIDS

Various formulations and methods of fabricating edible bilayer films c onsisting of wheat gluten as a structural layer and a thin lipid layer as a moisture barrier were investigated and examined for water vapour permeability. Solid lipids such as beeswax or paraffin wax deposited in a molten state onto the base film were the most effective water vap our barriers. A film consisting of wheat gluten, glycerol and diacetyl tartaric ester of monoglyceride as one layer, and beeswax as the othe r yielded a water vapour permeability of 0.0048 g mm m(-2) mmHg(-1) 24 h(-1), which was less than that obtained with low density polyethylene .