Electrostatic powder coating of foods - State of the art and opportunities

Edible coatings and incorporation of active ingredients can improve food quality (appearance, taste, flavours, and increased shelf life). In this paper, specific emphasis is given to electrostatic application of powdercoatings that is known for high transfer efficiency and even coating. This application technique has the potential to reduce excessive use of coating material (up to 68%) and minimise dust release (up to 84%) to the environment. Different parameters (e.g. powder particle size) are discussed that influence powdercoating quality and efficiency for both non-electrostatic and electrostaticpowder application. Typical food processing systems are reviewed that can be combined with electrostaticpowdercoating. Finally, an overview of electrostatically coated food products and a short outlook of electrostaticpowdercoating of foods are given.