Developing of edible coatings for preservation of fresh-cut fruits

Abstract

The consumption of minimally processed fruit has increased in recent years and with it the interest in developing edible coatings that preserve the quality of the fruit. This work has focused on the search for ingredients that improve the quality of melon, apple and cut mango, based on consumer preferences in Spain. The mechanisms of deterioration that most affect the selected fruits have been studied and it has been determined that cut melon is affected by water loss and microbial infections, cut apple by darkening of the surface and cut mango by ethylene production. The selected ingredients will form solutions in which the selected fruits will be immersed and will fulfil a certain function. In the case of cut melons, a solution of 2% (w/w) chitosan with 1% (w/w) calcium chloride and 0.1% (w/w) vanillin will be applied to reduce water loss and microbial infection. Two solutions will be applied to coat the cut apple, the first to incorporate the active ingredients and the second to protect the fruit from the environment. The first solution will have a concentration of 3% (w/w) of citric acid, 4% of ascorbic acid and 1.5% of N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) which will inhibit the darkening of the surface. The second solution will be composed of the combination of 2% (w/w) alginate with 1.5% (w/w) glycerol. The cut handle will also be immersed in two solutions. The first solution is composed of 0.5% (w/w) melatonin and 0.05% (w/w) 1-Methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) with the function of inhibiting ethylene production, and the second solution is composed of the combination of 2% (w/w) carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) and 0.5% (w/w) chitosan. Finally, by means of an analysis of the consumption of the selected cut fruits in the metropolitan area of Barcelona, the quantities of solutions (products) to be produced in a year have been established and the necessary equipment to produce them has been chosen