Obtaining minimally processed strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa) products and their physicochemical, microbiological, and sensory characterization by using edible coatings

Abstract

The use of edible coatings (EC) has played an important role in the food industry, proving effective in fruit conservation. The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of edible coatings on a set of physicochemical, microbiological, and sensory parameters of strawberry by using chitosan, calcium caseinate, and low-methoxyl pectin combined with glycerol as plasticizer, ascorbic acid and citric acid as antioxidant agents; uncoated strawberries were used as control. Analyses were performed on days 0, 3, 6, 9, and 12 of storage at 5 °C, evaluating physicochemical and microbiological properties. It was found that the samples with edible coatings differed significantly from the control in the parameters evaluated. The EC1 (chitosan) was effective in prolonging the shelf life of strawberry for up to 14 days, conserving physical and chemical attributes during storage.

Keywords

• conservation techniques
• strawberry
• shelf life
• coatings