Edible Moisture Barriers for Food Product Stabilization

The reduction of mass transfer between a food product and its surrounding atmosphere by coating the entire product with an edible material is an extremely old practice, already used in the twelfth century in China (fruit waxing), and in England during the sixteenth century (meat larding) (Kester and Fennema 1986). Today, controlling mass, and more specifically moisture transfer, still remains an important challenge to maintain the quality of fresh or processed products, such as fruits, meats and seafood products. In ready-to-eat composite foods, the limitation of internal moisture transfer between components is also of major concern. It has gained in importance as consumers’ demand for this kind of convenient product has increased. Moisture transfer from the “wet” to the “dry” component of these products affect the physical properties, especially texture, and chemical composition of the food system, and consequently its quality and shelf-life (Katz and Labuza 1981).