Application of Transglutaminase-Crosslinked Whey Protein/Pectin Films as Water Barrier Coatings in Fried and Baked Foods

Abstract

Whey protein/pectin edible films were prepared in the presence of transglutaminase and tested as water barrier coatings of both fried doughnuts and french fries as well as of baked food like “taralli” biscuits. Our results demonstrated an undoubted effect of the produced hydrocolloidal films, known to markedly reduce water vapor permeability, in decreasing moisture loss in both doughnuts and french fries when applied before food frying. At the same time, a significant decrease in oil content was observed in the coated fried foods (about 50 % in doughnuts and 25 % in french fries) with respect to both uncoated controls and whey/soy protein-coated samples. No difference was observed between uncoated and coated both doughnuts and french fries with regard to their texture properties and as confirmed by the data from sensory evaluation tests. Furthermore, since the coating by edible films endowed with low water vapor permeability could be useful to prevent moisture absorption by baked foods, we tested the whey protein/pectin film prepared in the presence of transglutaminase, which was also used to coat taralli biscuits. The proposed methodology resulted to be effective to hinder moisture absorption by biscuits during a long storage period, keeping water content constant from 0 to 50 days, thus preventing the food matrix conversion from a glassy state to a rubbery state which is the major cause of baked food rejection by consumers

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“…These authors included different biopolymer matrices in their formulations, including chitosan [37,38] and whey proteins [39].…”

State of the Art in the Development and Properties of Protein-Based Films and Coatings and Their Applicability to Cellulose Based Products: An Extensive Review

“…Whey proteins for film productions are kept into account in several recent research activities due to their good industrial potential especially as plastic lacquer and paper extruded coating [39,55,56,85,[141][142][143][144][145][146]. Rossi et al, prepared and investigated transglutaminase-crosslinked whey protein/pectin films [147].…”

Soy Protein- and Starch-Based Green Composites/Nanocomposites: Preparation, Properties, and Applications

“…For example, moisture losses in fruits and vegetables upon long-term storage may result in subsequent weight loss and shrinkage (Ghidelli et al 2014). Crispy potato chips become soggy when exposed to a humid environment (Rossi Marquez et al 2013); in multiphase foods, quality may degrade when moisture moves from one component of the food to another, such as from the moist filling of a pie to its dry crust. Similarly, undesirable gas transfers can also cause quality problems.…”