36E-28 |
|
K. H. TRAN, N. S. Hettiarachchy, and S. Eswaranandam. Dept. of Food Science, Univ. of Arkansas, 2650 N. Young Ave., Fayetteville, AR 72704 The physical appearance of fresh produce is important in consumer′s decision of whether to purchase or not. Color is one of the significant factors in consumer′s decision. Industries have utilized carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) and soy protein isolate (SPI) as a coating of fresh produce for years. The incorporation of malic acid into the edible film coating solutions is hypothesized to assist in the preservation of the color and to extend the shelf-life of the alfalfa and mung bean sprouts. Our objectives were to incorporate malic acid into the CMC and SPI edible film coating solutions and coat the alfalfa sprouts and mung bean sprouts and to determine the color of sprouts. The edible film coating solutions were formed using CMC and SPI. The sprouts were dipped into the film coating solutions, dried at ambient temperature, and kept at 4o C for a week in a plastic bag. The color of the sprouts was determined using the Minolta colorimeter. Our results showed that the malic acid incorporated edible film coating solutions preserved the color of the sprouts. The CMC (0.25 g) and SPI (2 g) coating solutions retained more lightness (CIE L) of the sprout′s hypocotyls during storage compared to control (no coating) and other concentrations of CMC (0.5 g and 0.75 g) and SPI (1g and 4 g). The controls were darker for the alfalfa and mung bean sprouts hypocotyls (L=68.0 and 70.6, respectively). The coated alfalfa with CMC (0.25 g) and mung bean sprouts with SPI (2 g) had a lighter color (L=71.7 and 70.6, respectively). These results indicate that the coated sprouts maintained their quality in appearance. The results suggest that malic acid incorporated with CMC and SPI preserves the color and extend the shelf-life of the alfalfa and mung bean sprouts.
Session 36E, Fruit & Vegetable Products: General
2005 IFT Annual Meeting, July 15-20 - New Orleans, Louisiana |