Abstract

LOPEZ-CORDOBA, Alex  and  ALDANA-USME, Andrea. Edible coatings based on sodium alginate and ascorbic acid for application on fresh-cut pineapple (Ananas comosus (L.) Merr). Agron. colomb. [online]. 2019, vol.37, n.3, pp.317-322. ISSN 0120-9965.  https://doi.org/10.15446/agron.colomb.v37n3.76173.

The demand for healthy and ready-to-eat products, such as freshly-harvested fruits, has been growing steadily over the years. However, these products are very susceptible to spoilage and have a short shelf-life. In this research, edible coatings based on sodium alginate and its blends with ascorbic acid (a natural antioxidant and anti-browning agent) were applied on fresh-cut pineapple samples, and the changes in their physi-cochemical properties were monitored during 10 d of storage at 4°C. Initially, the surface of the coated fruits was brighter and statistically significant differences were not found between uncoated and coated samples (P<0.05); similar values were obtained in the parameters of soluble solids °Brix), pH (~3.74) and titratable acidity (~0.64%). During storage, coated samples were more protected against changes in appearance compared to uncoated fresh-cut pineapple samples. The current results will be beneficial for further research that focuses on the preservation of minimally processed fruits such as pineapple.

Keywords : minimally processed foods; storage losses; food preservation; added value.

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