“Edible coating and plastic film combinations for maintaining the quality of refrigerated Brussels sprouts”

FERREYRA, R.; VIÑA, S.; MUGRIDGE, A.; GARCIA, M.A.; MARTINO, M.; ZARITZKY, N.; CHAVES, A.

Valencia, España

Conferencia; Congreso EFFSOT. Innovations in Traditional Foods.; 2005

To extend shelf life of Brussels sprouts, both edible coatings and synthetic films with different permeabilities were applied. Commercial and nutritional quality were evaluated during refrigerated storage. Sprouts cv Oliver, field-grown in La Plata (Argentina) were placed on polystyrene trays. PVC and RD106Ò films and starch based coatings with glycerol (G), sorbitol (S) or oil (O) were applied as packaging treatments. Combinations of coatings with PVC film were also evaluated. Samples were stored at 0ºC for 42 days and withdrawn the following week, to evaluate commercial acceptability, weight loss, surface colour and texture. Samples were also stored for 48 hs at 20ºC to simulate a thermal abuse. Antioxidant capacity (DPPH), ascorbic acid (HPLC) and total flavonoids (spectrophotometry) were determined on initial and 42 day-storage samples of the best treatments. Up to 14 days of storage at 0ºC, all treatments maintained optimum quality conditions. At the end of storage, sprout bases showed higher colour differences (D E) than sprout heads due to the higher incidence of browning on the cutting zone. This effect was minimized on sprouts packed with synthetic films and those with the combination of PVC+G. The longer the storage time at 0ºC, the higher the D E values of thermally abused samples, regardless the packing treatment. Plastic films led to an acceptable commercial quality, regarding weight loss and firmness, up to 42 days of storage, being RD-106® film the most effective. Among combined treatments, PVC+G showed the highest commercial quality values at the end of assayed storage time and thermal abuse. Besides, selected treatments (RD-106® and PVC+G) kept nutritional quality, as seen by maintaining ascorbic acid and total flavonoid contents and by increasing antioxidant capacity. Commercial and nutritional quality were evaluated during refrigerated storage. Sprouts cv Oliver, field-grown in La Plata (Argentina) were placed on polystyrene trays. PVC and RD106Ò films and starch based coatings with glycerol (G), sorbitol (S) or oil (O) were applied as packaging treatments. Combinations of coatings with PVC film were also evaluated. Samples were stored at 0ºC for 42 days and withdrawn the following week, to evaluate commercial acceptability, weight loss, surface colour and texture. Samples were also stored for 48 hs at 20ºC to simulate a thermal abuse. Antioxidant capacity (DPPH), ascorbic acid (HPLC) and total flavonoids (spectrophotometry) were determined on initial and 42 day-storage samples of the best treatments. Up to 14 days of storage at 0ºC, all treatments maintained optimum quality conditions. At the end of storage, sprout bases showed higher colour differences (D E) than sprout heads due to the higher incidence of browning on the cutting zone. This effect was minimized on sprouts packed with synthetic films and those with the combination of PVC+G. The longer the storage time at 0ºC, the higher the D E values of thermally abused samples, regardless the packing treatment. Plastic films led to an acceptable commercial quality, regarding weight loss and firmness, up to 42 days of storage, being RD-106® film the most effective. Among combined treatments, PVC+G showed the highest commercial quality values at the end of assayed storage time and thermal abuse. Besides, selected treatments (RD-106® and PVC+G) kept nutritional quality, as seen by maintaining ascorbic acid and total flavonoid contents and by increasing antioxidant capacity. in La Plata (Argentina) were placed on polystyrene trays. PVC and RD106Ò films and starch based coatings with glycerol (G), sorbitol (S) or oil (O) were applied as packaging treatments. Combinations of coatings with PVC film were also evaluated. Samples were stored at 0ºC for 42 days and withdrawn the following week, to evaluate commercial acceptability, weight loss, surface colour and texture. Samples were also stored for 48 hs at 20ºC to simulate a thermal abuse. Antioxidant capacity (DPPH), ascorbic acid (HPLC) and total flavonoids (spectrophotometry) were determined on initial and 42 day-storage samples of the best treatments. Up to 14 days of storage at 0ºC, all treatments maintained optimum quality conditions. At the end of storage, sprout bases showed higher colour differences (D E) than sprout heads due to the higher incidence of browning on the cutting zone. This effect was minimized on sprouts packed with synthetic films and those with the combination of PVC+G. The longer the storage time at 0ºC, the higher the D E values of thermally abused samples, regardless the packing treatment. Plastic films led to an acceptable commercial quality, regarding weight loss and firmness, up to 42 days of storage, being RD-106® film the most effective. Among combined treatments, PVC+G showed the highest commercial quality values at the end of assayed storage time and thermal abuse. Besides, selected treatments (RD-106® and PVC+G) kept nutritional quality, as seen by maintaining ascorbic acid and total flavonoid contents and by increasing antioxidant capacity. heads due to the higher incidence of browning on the cutting zone. This effect was minimized on sprouts packed with synthetic films and those with the combination of PVC+G. The longer the storage time at 0ºC, the higher the D E values of thermally abused samples, regardless the packing treatment. Plastic films led to an acceptable commercial quality, regarding weight loss and firmness, up to 42 days of storage, being RD-106® film the most effective. Among combined treatments, PVC+G showed the highest commercial quality values at the end of assayed storage time and thermal abuse. Besides, selected treatments (RD-106® and PVC+G) kept nutritional quality, as seen by maintaining ascorbic acid and total flavonoid contents and by increasing antioxidant capacity.