Edible coatings are a viable alternative method to enhance food shelf life that can be designed using different biopolymers. This study evaluated the effect of a whey protein–pectin coating reticulated by microbial transglutaminase (mTG) on improving roasted peanuts’ shelf life. Peroxide value, water content, peanut color, and the solution’s contact angle were studied. The latter was improved by the presence of the enzyme. The results showed that the presence of the coating on the peanut surface reduces the peroxide value and water content, probably as a consequence of an improved barrier effect due to the presence of mTG, which protects the kernel. Enzymatically reticulated whey protein–pectin coatings are a promising alternative to enhance the shelf life of roasted peanut kernels using natural ingredients.

It is well known that an effective way to improve the quality attributes of food is the use of coatings. Moreover, there is evidence of the use of dairy byproducts to design coatings to improve the shelf life of food products. This study was conducted to explore the effectiveness of a film forming solution containing whey protein–pectin complex enzymatically reticulated by transglutaminase (TGase) applied as a coating on eggshells to preserve the internal quality of eggs stored under environmental conditions (25 ± 1 °C and 35% HR) during 15 days storage. Eggs properties tested included yolk index, albumen and yolk pH, albumen CO₂ content, water loss, shell strength, and microbial permeability through the shell. The results showed that the coating maintained a higher yolk index and albumen carbon dioxide content, reduced the weight loss and increased both albumen and yolk pH values with respect to the uncoated eggs. All coated eggshells showed greater strength than those of uncoated eggs. Moreover, by using Blue Lake dye penetration method we demonstrated that the coating reduced the Blue Lake dye penetration confirming the effectiveness of the coating on the reduction of post-wash bacterial penetration. These results suggest that the studied coating can be useful to preserve internal egg quality but also to reduce the breakage of eggshell and egg microbial contamination. Based on this result we can conclude that the coating made with whey protein–pectin crosslinked by TGase could be an effective strategy to increase the shelf life of eggs preserved in environmental conditions and to reduce economic losses due to the eggs breakage during their marketing.

Nowadays, there is a global problem regarding the consumption of petroleum-derived packaging materials because they are consumed in large quantities

Multilayer coating can be applied on fresh fruit to protect and enhance its shelf life. This study evaluated the application of a multilayer protein and chitosan coating on fresh cherimoya. To determinate the effect of the multilayer coating on the shelf life on the fruit, total phenolic content, pH, °Brix, weight loss, and hardness values were tested. The ripening process is associated with an increase of soluble solids, and results showed that the presence of the multilayered coating maintains the total phenolic content, pH, and °Brix values over time while reducing the water loss. This effect is probably due to the presence of the coating that creates a barrier on the food surface that reduces the respiration rate and affects the ripening process, demonstrating the method’s feasibility to be used to enhance the shelf life of fresh-cut cherimoya.

The increasing demand for sustainable food systems has sparked interest in sustainable and safe food systems, which has intensified global interest in strategies that can reduce losses, maintain quality, and decrease the environmental footprint of packaging

Edible coatings are widely used to modulate oil uptake and moisture in fried foods. In this study, we evaluated a microfluid-assisted flow-blurring spray against conventional application by dipping/spraying, focusing on the coating efficiency and preliminary implications for sustainable process. This study combines benchtop experiments with a near-nozzle numerical analysis where the gas–liquid interface and primary breakup are modeled using the Volume of Fluid (VOF) approach implemented in OpenFOAM, configured for a flow-blurring geometry to generate whey protein isolate (WPI) coatings. Viscosity, density, solid content, and contact angle were validated experimentally and used in the simulation setup. An image-based droplet pipeline quantified spray characteristics, yielding a volumetric median diameter D₅₀ = 83.69 µm and confirming process uniformity. Contact angles showed marked substrate dependence: hydrophilic surfaces, 68°–85°; hydrophobic surfaces, 95°–110°. For turkey sausages, sessile-drop contact angles were not determinable (N.D.) due to wicking/roughness; wettability was therefore assessed on smooth surrogates and via performance metrics. Fit-for-purpose simulation procedures are outlined. Microfluidic application (WPI-McF) lowered oil uptake versus uncoated controls. Together, robust modeling, targeted image analytics, and high-precision microfluidics enable rational tuning of coating microstructure and barrier performance, offering a scalable pathway to reduce lipid content and enhance fried food quality.