ABSTRACT
Today consumers have high expectations for acquiring and eating fresh food, or food with the lowest possible processing. Economical technologies that may be applied in the food industry to improve product quality are necessary. Edible coatings are an innovative and effective way to protect food, thus extending shelf life of the product and at the same time reducing the use of nonrecoverable packaging. Edible films with probiotics added protect the food and may add nutritional value for human beings. This chapter reviews updated information on applications and perspectives of food edible films with added probiotics. Favorable results have been obtained with the application of films and edible coatings on food that improve the survival of lactic acid bacteria and control some pathogenic microorganisms such as Listeria monocytogenes and Listeria innocua, among others.
