The coating allows uncooked fries to be frozen and thawed. Clear starch coatings need not add flavor, but seasoning and coloring agents may be added to appeal to connoisseurs of spicy fries. For those concerned about a diet too high in fat, edible coatings reduce the amount of fat that food takes up during frying. One manufacturer claims to have produced a coating that reduces the fat uptake in fried fish, vegetables, chicken nuggets and other foods by up to 40 percent. In the pharmaceutical industry, edible coatings provide the control necessary for timed-release medications.
Pills hold their shape without crumbling because of the coatings applied.
The Institute of Food Technologists' Expert Panel on Food Safety and Nutrition recommends that food labels list the materials used in coatings. Edible films can be carriers of nutritional supplements, and protein-based films, depending on protein quality, can be an important nutritional enhancement of the food, the institute notes.