| Summary: | Minimally processed products (MP) are one of the major growing food product segments due to an increasing demand from consumers for innovative, convenient and healthy products. Shelf-life of MP is compromised mostly by enzymatic browning that causes excessive tissue softening and superficial browning. As the farm to fork path gets longer new techniques to maintain the quality throughout all stages of the production chain and distribution of MP without compromising their healthy and fresh-like appeal are required.
The main objective of the present work was the development of an edible coating (EC) formulated with natural ingredients from marine origin with application in minimally processed ready to eat (RTE) apples. Four EC formulations containing different seaweed extracts as the active compound (0.5% <i>Fucus spirals</i>, <i>Bifurcaria bifurcate</i>, <i>Codium tomentosum</i> and <i>Codium vermilara</i>), were tested and compared with a 0.5% citric acid EC and a distilled water control. The effect of EC application on quality maintenance over storage was assessed over 20 days of storage at 4 ± 2°C. Product quality was characterized in terms of weight loss, moisture, total soluble solids, firmness and colorimetric measurements. The activity of peroxidase and polyphenoloxidase was also determined over time.
The EC containing <i>Codium tomentosum</i> seaweed extract showed the better performance by minimizing physical and chemical changes in RTE apples, namely: minor changes of moisture, total soluble solids and firmness values. In relation to the browning index, after 20 days of storage, RTE apples coated with EC containing <i>Codium tomentosum</i> seaweed extract showed the lowest values, also the results of peroxidase and polyphenoloxidase showed lower activity compared with the EC containing <i>Fucus spirals</i>, <i>Bifurcaria bifurcate</i> and <i>Codium vermilara</i> seaweed extracts, citric acid EC and the control.
These results also allowed a pending patent application nº 107369 “Revestimento de origem marinha para aplicação em produtos minimamente processados ou de quarta gama” which is related with an edible coating with the incorporation of bioactive compounds from macroalgae for minimally processed products.
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