RECENT INNOVATIONS IN EDIBLE AND OR BIODEGRADABLE PACKAGING MATERIALS/

Cel tain newly discovered characteristics of natural biopolymers shoul d make them a choice material to be used for different types of wrappi ngs and films, Edible and/or biodegradable packagings produced from ag ricultural origin macromolecules provide a supplementary and sometimes essential means to control physiological, microbiological, and physic ochemical changes in food products. This is accomplished (i) by contro lling mass transfers between food product and ambient atmosphere or be tween components in heterogeneous food product, and (iii) by modifying and controlling food surface conditions (pH, level of specific functi onal agents, slow release of flavour compounds). it should be stressed that the material characteristics (polysaccharide, protein, or lipid, plasticized or not, chemically modified or not, used alone or in comb ination) and the fabrication procedures (casting of a film-forming sol ution, thermoforming) must be adapted to each specific food product an d usage condition (relative humidify, temperature). Some potential use s of these materials (e.g. wrapping of various fabricated foods; prote ction of fruits and vegetables by control of maturation, protection of meat and fish, control of internal moisture transfer in pizzas), whic h are hinged on film properties (e.g. organoleptic, mechanical, gas an d solute barrier) are described with examples.