Antimicrobial edible films were developed using defatted soybean meal (DSM), a lactoperoxidase system (LPOS), and heat pressing. DSM-based films were formed at 70-90 degrees C and 40-50 MPa for 3 min, varying with the concentrations of DSM, xanthan, glycerol, and water in the formulation. The tensile strength, elongation, elastic modulus, and moisture vapor permeability of the DSM films were 1.2-5.4 MPa, 0.7-19.5%, 19.6-505.4 MPa, and 2.6-6.8 g mm kPa(-1) h(-1) m(-2), respectively. The LPOS-DSM film inhibited Salmonella Typhimurium by 1.5 log CFU/disk. The diffusion coefficients for the diffusion of antimicrobial hypothiocyanite (OSCN-) in the LPOS-DSM film coated on ham and a gel foodwere 1.8-10.7 x 10(-15) m(2) - s(-1). As the water activity of the food or storage temperature increased, the coefficient also increased. These results demonstrated the feasibility of producing edible films from DSM on a large scale, which can potentially be used as a food coating to decontaminate S. Typhimurium on food surfaces by controlled release of antimicrobials. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.