Bio-Packaging material impact on blueberries quality attributes under transport and marketing conditions.

MARÍA JULIETA BOF; FRANCO EMANUEL LAURENT; DR JUAN FACUNDO MASSOLO; DELIA ELISA LOCASO; FLORENCIA VERSINO; MARÍA ALEJANDRA GARCÍA

Polymers

Board

Año: 2021

2073-4360

Blueberries are highly appreciated for their high antioxidant content but are alsoparticularly susceptible to fungal deterioration. In this work, corn starch and chitosan, byproductsof the fishing industry, as well as active compounds obtained from citrus processing waste wereused to obtain active biodegradable film packaging. Blueberries were packed in corn starch?chitosan (CS:CH) films and in active films containing lemon essential oil (LEO) or grapefruit seedextract (GSE). The effects of film packaging on the quality parameters of berries and the fungalincidence of disease during storage were studied and compared to benchmark materials. Aconservation assay simulating transport and commercialization conditions was conducted.Blueberries packed in CS:CH films showed antioxidant capacity values closer to those packed incommercial PET containers (Clamshells), preserving 84.8% of the initial antioxidants content. Fruitpacked in LEO films exhibited the greatest weight loss and rot incidence, and poor surface color.CS:CH and GSE films controlled the fruit respiration rate and weight loss, therefore they arematerials with adequate barrier properties for blueberries conservation. Bags formulated with GSEshowed adequate barrier properties to maintain fruit quality attributes without the incidence ofrottenness, being an interesting option for blueberries exportation.