Sensory quality and flavour of alginate coated and repetitive pulsed light treated fresh-cut cantaloupes (Cucumis melo L. Var. Reticulatus Cv. Glamour) during storage

Abstract

Fresh-cut fruits are popular due to the convenience provided. However, fresh-cut processes damage fruit tissues and reduce the shelf life of products. Pulsed light (PL) treatment is a decontamination method of foods. PL treatment given repetitively at a certain interval during storage could further extend the shelf life of fresh-cut fruits. Edible coating preserves fresh-cut fruits by providing mechanical strength and reducing respiration and water loss. This study was to evaluate the effects of alginate coating combined with repetitive pulsed light (RPL) on sensory quality and flavour of fresh-cut cantaloupes during storage. Cantaloupes were treated with alginate (1.86%, w/v) and RPL (0.9 J/cm 2 at every 48 h up to 26 days) alone or in combination. Flavour analysis of fresh-cut cantaloupes was carried out every 12 days during storage at 4 ± 1°C while sensory analysis was performed on day 32. Alginate coating and/or RPL retained sugar contents (17.92-20.01 g/kg FW for fructose, 18.77-19.98 g/kg FW for glucose and 23.02-29.41 g/kg FW for sucrose) in freshcut cantaloupes during storage. Combination of alginate with RPL reduced accumulation of lactic acid although alginate coating was more effective to minimise changes of other organic acids in fresh-cut cantaloupes. The combined treatment was also more effective than individual treatment in retaining total aroma compound concentration of freshcut cantaloupes during storage with the highest relative concentration, i.e. 3.174 on day 36. Overall, the combined alginate coating and RPL was effective to maintain the fresh-like sensory quality of fresh-cut cantaloupes with insignificant overall acceptability compared to the control.

DO PROCESSAMENTO MÍNIMO À CONSERVAÇÃO: EFEITO DA QUITOSANA E BENTONITA NA VIDA ÚTIL DE MELÃO (Cucumis melo cantalupensis)

“…Esperava-se que o teor de acidez das amostras diminuísse em função do tempo, uma vez que, normalmente, algumas frutas perdem rapidamente a acidez com o processo de amadurecimento (SHARMA et al, 2019). Após o processamento e durante o armazenamento, alguns ácidos diminuem naturalmente, enquanto outros aumentam (KOH et al, 2019). A produção de ácido lático por bactérias ácidas pode explicar o aumento da acidez dos melões recém-cortados (KOH et al, 2017).…”

Combining Non-Thermal Processing Techniques with Edible Coating Materials: An Innovative Approach to Food Preservation

“…This type of packaging material is usually designed to provide visual information about the safety, quality, or freshness of packaged food in real time [23,24]. Indicators are typically attached to the interior or exterior of the packaging material to monitor, record, and communicate information to food producers, distributors, and consumers along the whole supply chain [25,26]. In the remainder of this review, we focus on the utilization of active packaging materials to form coatings that are designed to preserve foods, as well as the combination of non-thermal processing methods.…”

“…Koh, Noranizan [26] assessed the effects of an alginate coating followed by a PL treatment on the sensory properties of fresh-cut cantaloupes during 36 days of storage at 4 • C. The fresh-cut cantaloupes were coated by dipping them in an alginate solution containing glycerol and sunflower oil. The coated cantaloupes were then packed in polypropylene bags and exposed to the PL at a fluence of 0.9 J/cm 2 every 48 h for up to 26 days.…”

Packaging aspects for processing and quality of foods treated by pulsed light

“…Authors of another study combined the PL treatment with alginate coatings for assessing sensory quality and flavor of fresh cantaloupes during storage (Koh, Mohd, & Noranizan, 2019). Cantaloupes were treated with alginate (1.86%, wt/vol), considering that 150.0 g were packaged in PP films (40 µm) and treated with PL (0.9 J/cm 2 ).…”