Plasticizers, such as glycerol or sorbitol, in edible coating formulations play the role of improving
coatings flexibility by reducing the number of internal hydrogen bonds between polymer chains and by
increasing the free volume in the matrix to permit oxygen and water vapor diffusion through the coating
film. Emulsifiers are usually added into coating formulations to improve wettability, stability and
adhesion to the food surface, while cross-linking agents are necessary to react with carbohydrates
forming a solid polymeric matrix upon the food. In particular, the gelation of low-methoxyl pectins takes
place in the presence of multivalent metal cations, such as calcium, due to their electrostatic interactions
with the opposite charged cavities formed by polymer chains [59–61].