Abstract: This study aimed to improve the physical properties and cooking stability of edible casings. Gelatin (GA) and chitosan (CH)-based edible films were made containing different contents of cinnamaldehyde (CA). The effect of CA content on physical and chemical properties of the films was analyzed. We found that the addition of CA significantly improved the film performance. The tensile strength was 40.2 MPa, which was 195% higher than that of pure film, and the oxygen permeability and moisture permeability were improved by about 17% and 10% when the contents of CA, glycerol, and tween accounted for 13%, 35%, and 0.75% of the total mass of GA and CH, respectively. The addition of CA formed a denser network structure and effectively improved the cooking stability. The microscopic morphology showed a good compatibility and a strong force, which further improves the thermal stability of the film.

Key words: gelatin, chitosan, cinnamaldehyde, cooking stability, edible film