Improving the shelf-life of strawberry fruit with edible coatings enriched with essential oils

The increased consumer demand for higher quality food in combination with the environmental need to reduce disposable packaging waste, led to an increased interest in research on edible coatings.
In this study, four formulations of edible coatings were used: sodium alginate was tested at 2% with eugenol 0.1% and with citral 0.15% plus eugenol 0.1%; pectin at 2% with eugenol 0.1%; and pectin 2% with citral 0.15%. At 0, 5, 10 and 15 d, samples were taken to perform physicochemical and biochemical analysis [color, firmness, soluble solids content, weight loss, taste panels, phenol compounds (total phenols and anthocyanins), sugars and organic acids.
Edible coatings were efficient in preserving most sensorial and general quality attributes of fruits while not affecting their sugars or organic acids.
Taste panel showed that fruit of control were not suitable for consumption after 15 d storage, while the edible coated could keep that long with good sensorial and nutritional quality.
The edible coating which better preserved the overall quality parameters through storage was alginate 2% + citral 0.15% + eugenol 0.1%.

IV International Symposium on Horticulture in Europe – SHE2021

A. Guerreiro, C. Gago, M.G. Miguel, M.L. Faleiro, M.D. Antunes

strawberries, alginate, pectin, citral, eugenol, storage

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2021.1327.79