Claims:1. An edible wrapping film composition comprising gelatin in a weight percentage range of 2% to 5% of the composition; and Lactobacillus plantarum in a concentration range of 108 to 1012 CFU/ml.
2. The composition as claimed in claim 1, wherein the composition further comprises additives.
3. The composition as claimed in claim 2, wherein the additives are food coloring, flavoring agents, food acids, emulsifying agents, disintegrating agents, plasticizers, or combinations thereof.
4. The composition as claimed in claim 2, wherein the additives are present in the weight percentage range of 0.5% to 2% of the composition.
5. The composition as claimed in claim 1, wherein thickness of the film ranges from 0.125 mm to 0.150 mm.
6. The composition as claimed in claim 1, wherein percent moisture in the film is in a range of 25.50% to 35.00%.
7. A food article wrapped with the edible wrapping film composition as claimed in claim 1.
8. A process of preparing an edible wrapping film composition comprising the steps of:
(a) dissolving gelatin in water along with stirring to give a polymer solution;
(b) suspending Lactobacillus plantarum in the polymer solution to give a solution; and
(c) casting the solution in a mould to give the edible wrapping film composition.

9. The process as claimed in claim 8, wherein the gelatin is present in a weight percentage range of 2% to 5% of the composition; and Lactobacillus plantarum is present in a concentration range of 108 to 1012 CFU/ml.

Description:FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to wrapping film compositions. More specifically, the disclosure is directed to an edible wrapping film composition comprising gelatin and a micro-organism- Lactobacillus plantarum. The disclosure further relates to a process of preparing the same.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Background description includes information that may be useful in understanding the present invention. It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein is prior art or relevant to the presently claimed invention, or that any publication specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art.
[0003] Plastic usage has grown over the years creating major concerns for environmentalists and scientists across the globe. Most of this plastic ends up as waste, gets collected in landfills and takes thousands of years, if not more, to decompose. Those that do not get collected in landfills seep into the oceans and other water bodies polluting them and causing a threat to marine animals. Thus, there is an urgent need to decrease the consumption of plastic.
[0004] Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is one of the most commonly used plastics. A majority of it gets employed in food packaging industries. Biodegradable food packaging comprising food-grade ingredients is an alternative to decrease plastic consumption in these industries. Biopolymers like starch, cellulose, paper are commonly used as sustainable food packaging. They however need to be disposed before food consumption. Edible food packaging on the other hand can be eaten without the need to be thrown. Edible films offered in the market are expensive, or affect the quality of food.
[0005] The inventors of the present disclosure have arrived at an alternative, cost-effective, edible wrapping film composition comprising gelatin and Lactobacillus plantarum.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
[0006] An object of the present disclosure is to provide an alternative food packaging material to plastic.
[0007] An object of the present disclosure is to provide an edible wrapping film composition.
[0008] Another object of the present disclosure is to provide an edible wrapping film composition comprising pro-biotic microorganisms that increase gut immunity.
[0009] Still another object of the present disclosure is to provide an edible wrapping film composition that is easy to fabricate, natural and cost-effective.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0010] This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in Detailed Description section. This summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.
[0011] The inventors of the present disclosure provide an edible wrapping film composition comprising gelatin and microorganism- Lactobacillus plantarum that can be used for food packaging.
[0012] In an aspect, the present disclosure relates to an edible wrapping film composition comprising gelatin in a weight percentage range of about 2% to about 5% of the composition; and Lactobacillus plantarum in concentration range of about 108 to about 1012 CFU/ml.
[0013] In another aspect, the present disclosure relates to a food article wrapped with the edible wrapping film composition as per an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0014] In yet another aspect, the present disclosure relates to a process of preparing an edible wrapping film composition comprising the steps of:
(a) dissolving gelatin in water along with stirring to give a polymer solution;
(b) suspending Lactobacillus plantarum in the polymer solution to give a solution; and
(c) casting the solution in a mould to give the edible wrapping film composition.
[0015] Other aspects of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be apparent from the description, or may be learnt by the practice of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0016] The following is a detailed description of embodiments of the disclosure. The embodiments are in such detail as to clearly communicate the disclosure. However, the amount of detail offered is not intended to limit the anticipated variations of embodiments; on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims.
[0017] All publications herein are incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each individual publication or patent application were specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference. Where a definition or use of a term in an incorporated reference is inconsistent or contrary to the definition of that term provided herein, the definition of that term provided herein applies and the definition of that term in the reference does not apply.
[0018] Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. Thus, the appearances of the phrases “in one embodiment” or “in an embodiment” in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.
[0019] In some embodiments, numbers have been used for quantifying weights, percentages, ratios, and so forth, to describe and claim certain embodiments of the invention and are to be understood as being modified in some instances by the term “about.” Accordingly, in some embodiments, the numerical parameters set forth in the written description and attached claims are approximations that can vary depending upon the desired properties sought to be obtained by a particular embodiment. In some embodiments, the numerical parameters should be construed in light of the number of reported significant digits and by applying ordinary rounding techniques. Notwithstanding that the numerical ranges and parameters setting forth the broad scope of some embodiments of the invention are approximations, the numerical values set forth in the specific examples are reported as precisely as practicable. The numerical values presented in some embodiments of the invention may contain certain errors necessarily resulting from the standard deviation found in their respective testing measurements.
[0020] Various terms as used herein are shown below. To the extent a term used in a claim is not defined below, it should be given the broadest definition persons in the pertinent art have given that term as reflected in printed publications and issued patents at the time of filing.
[0021] As used in the description herein and throughout the claims that follow, the meaning of “a,” “an,” and “the” includes plural reference unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Also, as used in the description herein, the meaning of “in” includes “in” and “on” unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.
[0022] Unless the context requires otherwise, throughout the specification which follow, the word “comprise” and variations thereof, such as, “comprises” and “comprising” are to be construed in an open, inclusive sense that is as “including, but not limited to.”
[0023] The recitation of ranges of values herein is merely intended to serve as a shorthand method of referring individually to each separate value falling within the range. Unless otherwise indicated herein, each individual value is incorporated into the specification as if it were individually recited herein.
[0024] All methods described herein can be performed in any suitable order unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context. The use of any and all examples, or exemplary language (e.g. “such as”) provided with respect to certain embodiments herein is intended merely to better illuminate the invention and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the invention otherwise claimed. No language in the specification should be construed as indicating any non-claimed element essential to the practice of the invention.
[0025] Groupings of alternative elements or embodiments of the invention disclosed herein are not to be construed as limitations. Each group member can be referred to and claimed individually or in any combination with other members of the group or other elements found herein. One or more members of a group can be included in, or deleted from, a group for reasons of convenience and/or patentability. When any such inclusion or deletion occurs, the specification is herein deemed to contain the group as modified.
[0026] The description that follows, and the embodiments described therein, is provided by way of illustration of an example, or examples, of particular embodiments of the principles and aspects of the present disclosure. These examples are provided for the purposes of explanation, and not of limitation, of those principles and of the disclosure.
[0027] It should also be appreciated that the present disclosure can be implemented in numerous ways, including as a system, a method or a device. In this specification, these implementations, or any other form that the invention may take, may be referred to as processes. In general, the order of the steps of the disclosed processes may be altered within the scope of the invention.
[0028] The headings and abstract of the invention provided herein are for convenience only and do not interpret the scope or meaning of the embodiments.
[0029] The following discussion provides many example embodiments of the inventive subject matter. Although each embodiment represents a single combination of inventive elements, the inventive subject matter is considered to include all possible combinations of the disclosed elements. Thus if one embodiment comprises elements A, B, and C, and a second embodiment comprises elements B and D, then the inventive subject matter is also considered to include other remaining combinations of A, B, C, or D, even if not explicitly disclosed.
[0030] The inventors of the present disclosure provide a clean, green alternative to conventional plastic packaging. They have incorporated gelatin along with a microorganism to give a palatable film that may be consumed along with the food product it is protecting.
[0031] Gelatin is a tasteless, odorless protein obtained from boiling of skin, bones, or ligaments of animals in water. It is essentially an irreversible form of hydrolyzed collagen. It is a very valuable biopolymer in tissue engineering, apart from its frequent use in the kitchen for setting or gelling purposes.
[0032] Lactobacillus plantarum is a species of lactic acid pro-biotic bacteria commonly found in the human gut and mucus. It has been used traditionally in dairy products for example fermentation of milk. It is a protective bacterium that defends the body against pathogenic bacteria and is capable of surviving in human body temperatures, high bile acid and low pH conditions.
[0033] For the purpose of this invention, the microorganism Lactobacillus plantarum was sourced from Institute of Microbial Technology, Chandigarh.
[0034] In an embodiment, the present disclosure relates to an edible wrapping film composition comprising gelatin in a weight percentage range of about 2% to about 5% of the composition; and Lactobacillus plantarum in a concentration range of about 108 to about 1012 CFU/ml.
[0035] In an embodiment, thickness of the film ranges from about 0.125 mm to 0.150 mm. In an embodiment, the percent moisture in the film may be in the range of about 25.50% to about 35.00%.
[0036] In an embodiment, the film when stored at lower temperatures (less than 8 °C) exhibits improvement in the viability of the entrapped probiotic microorganisms.
[0037] In an embodiment, the composition may further comprise additives including, but not limited to, food coloring, flavoring agents, food acids, emulsifying agents, disintegrating agents, plasticizers, or combinations thereof.
[0038] In an embodiment, the additives may be present in the weight percentage range of about 0.5% to about 2% of the composition.
[0039] In an embodiment, the microorganism improves the gut immunity upon consumption of the film composition.
[0040] In an embodiment, the composition is a pro-biotic that protects the gut from attack of pathogenic organisms and increases gut immunity. It provides a palatable experience for the consumer.
[0041] In an embodiment, the composition can be wrapped on to food products including but not limited to meat, dairy, breads, ready-to-eat, preserved fruit, or bakery. The packing need not be removed and may be consumed along with the food product.
[0042] In an embodiment, the composition eliminates the need for tissues, butter papers or plastic film wrappings.
[0043] In an embodiment, even if the edible wrapping film composition is not consumed and is thrown away by the consumer it degrades or decomposes quickly.
[0044] In an embodiment, the composition may be easily fabricated, is environmentally safe and natural. Owings to its natural components the composition is also economical. It is also durable with a long shelf-life.
[0045] In an embodiment, the viability of pro-biotic microorganisms in the film remained stable for 7 days. The film when stored at lower temperatures (less than 8 °C) exhibited improvement in the viability of the entrapped pro-biotic microorganisms.
[0046] In an embodiment, the composition is elastic and strong in nature.
[0047] In another embodiment, the present disclosure relates to a food article wrapped with the edible wrapping film composition as per an embodiment of the present invention.
[0048] In yet another embodiment, the present disclosure relates to a process of preparing an edible wrapping film composition comprising the steps of:
(a) dissolving gelatin in water along with stirring to give a polymer solution;
(b) suspending Lactobacillus plantarum in the polymer solution to give a solution; and
(c) casting the solution in a mould to give the edible wrapping film composition.
[0049] In an embodiment, the gelatin may be present in a weight percentage range of about 2% to about 5% of the composition; and Lactobacillus plantarum may be present in a concentration range of about 108 to about 1012 CFU/ml.
[0050] Casting is a manufacturing process in which a liquid material is usually poured into a specially designed mold, which contains a hollow cavity of the desired shape, and then allowed to solidify. The solidified part is also known as a casting, which is ejected or broken out of the mold to complete the process.
[0051] In an embodiment, the process does not require any commercial machinery.
[0052] While the foregoing describes various embodiments of the disclosure, other and further embodiments of the disclosure may be devised without departing from the basic scope thereof. The scope of the invention is determined by the claims that follow. The invention is not limited to the described embodiments, versions or examples, which are included to enable a person having ordinary skill in the art to make and use the invention when combined with information and knowledge available to the person having ordinary skill in the art.
[0053] The present invention is further explained in the form of following examples. However, it is to be understood that the following examples are merely illustrative and are not to be taken as limitations upon the scope of the invention.
Example 1:
Preparation of Edible wrapping film composition
Solution of gelatin (2 %w/v) was prepared by dissolving gelatin (2 g) in 100 ml of distilled water. The mixture was stirred with the help of a magnetic stirrer for half an hour. Once the gelatin was completely dissolved, pro-biotic microorganisms (Lactobacillus plantarum) were suspended in the polymer solution. The pro-biotic microorganisms (Lactobacillus plantarum) containing polymeric solution was used for preparing edible wrapping sheet/films by casting method.
[0054] The foregoing examples are merely illustrative and are not to be taken as limitations upon the scope of the invention. Various changes and modifications to the disclosed embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

ADVANTAGES OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
[0055] The present disclosure provides a natural, biodegradable replacement for plastic food packaging wrappers.
[0056] The present disclosure provides an edible wrapping film composition that is pro-biotic and improves the gut immunity.
[0057] The present disclosure provides an edible wrapping film composition that is economical and easy to fabricate.