Edible films and coatings are thin layers of edible materials applied
on food products that play an important role on their
conservation, distribution and marketing. Some of their functions
are to protect the product from mechanical damage,
physical, chemical and microbiological activities. Their use
in food applications and especially highly perishable products
such as horticultural ones, is based on some particular properties
such as cost, availability, functional attributes, mechanical
properties (flexibility, tension), optical properties (brightness
and opacity), the barrier effect against gases flow, structural resistance
to water and microorganisms and sensory acceptability.
In this piece of work, the lastest advances on their
composition (polymers to be used in the structural matrix), including
nanoparticles addition, and properties have been reviewed,
as well as the trends in the research about their
different applications, including oil consumption reduction