4. Conclusions
Coatings/edible films obtained from vegetable polymers add important benefits to the product of its safety and quality. They can also be positively related to the growing trend of consumers searching for industrialized products that meet the “clean label” concept, that is, related to the use of organic ingredients, free of additives and artificial ingredients. Furthermore, the possibility of combining agents for biocontrol, such as phages, presents itself as a natural and green technology, effective for specifically targeting bacterial pathogens.
The antibacterial EdiPhage food coating showed adequate physicochemical characteristics, zero cytotoxicity, and maintenance of phage lytic activity against Salmonella enterica. In this sense, it can be stated that the antibacterial EdiPhage coating formulation has the potential for the biocontrol of S. enterica in ripened cheese.
However, it can be said that the development of edible films/coatings has occurred mainly at a laboratory scale, since there are still some limitations to be overcome, such as guaranteeing functional and organoleptic properties, attractive appearance, and compatible price, among other factors, and to guarantee the success of these materials on a commercial scale. The use of phages for biocontrol also requires further studies such as on evaluating the ability (or not) of phage penetration into food, the effect on phage survival in the face of abiotic factors, large volume production, etc.