73D-34 |
Application of wheat gluten edible films to strawberries |
C. R. F. GROSSO and P. S. Tanada-Palmu. Dept. of Food Planning & Nutrition, State Univ. of Campinas (UNICAMP), Cidade Universitária Zeferino Vaz, Campinas, SP, 13083-970, Brazil Edible coatings can provide extending post-harvest life of fruits and vegetables, since moisture loss due to transpiration during storage is inevitable. Edible wheat gluten coatings are applied in order to reduce weight and firmness losses during storage. Strawberries, as typical soft fruits, have a high physiological post-harvest activity, so a prolonged storage life is a challenge. To study the ability of gluten based coatings to extend shelf life of refrigerated strawberries and the influence of different types of coatings on the quality attributes of strawberries, such as weight loss and firmness. Strawberries were dipped in a gluten film-forming solution and in a beeswax solution or they were enveloped in a gluten film. They were stored in a refrigerator for 2 weeks and during this period, the weight loss was registered and the firmness was measured with a texture analyzer. The gluten based coating reduced weight and firmness losses of the strawberries, being the gluten coating with beeswax through dipped in solution the one which reduced more those parameters. The strawberries wrapped with the gluten film had also low weight and firmness losses, however the strawberries enveloped in gluten film bags or dipped in gluten solution had higher weight and firmness losses. The uncoated strawberries shriveled severely and had high weight and firmness losses. Bilayer coating of wheat gluten and beeswax significantly reduced weight and firmness losses from coated strawberries through storage, thus extended their shelf life compared to uncoated strawberries.
Session 73D, Food Packaging
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