Development Of Edible Films Based On Whey Protein Concentrate

The aim of this project was to develop an eco-friendly biodegradable film for the packaging of food materials for the safety purposes. The present study was conducted for the development of whey protein based edible film. The processing conditions were optimized and 6% level of WPC was selected with the incorporation of 3% glycerol as a plasticizer and 0.3% of sodium alginate as a binder. These levels were pre-standardized on the basis of biomechanical characteristics viz. thickness, penetrability, moisture, WVTR, density, L*, a* and b* values. Four different essential oils were selected on the basis of their antimicrobial activity. 0.5% level of cinnamaldehyde, lemongrass oil, peppermint oil and clove oil was added into the formulation of WPC in order to increase the antimicrobial efficacy of WPC based edible film. The antimicrobial activity was checked against three different pathogenic microorganisms viz. Escherichia coli, Bacillus cereus and Shigella flexineri by well diffusion method. This antimicrobial efficacy was then assessed on the basis of zone of inhibition.