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

FERREYRA, R. M.; VIÑA, S. Z.; MUGRIDGE, A.; GARCÍA, M. A.; MARTINO, M. N.; ZARITZKY, N. E.; CHAVES, A. R.

Polytechnical University. Valencia. España

Conferencia; EFFOST Conference INTRADFOOD 2005 Innovations in Traditional Foods; 2005

Editorial Elsevier

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 Samples were stored at 0ºC for 42 days and withdrawn the following week, to evaluate commercial acceptability, weight loss, surface colour and texture.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, sprouts bases showed higher colour differences (DE) than sprouts 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 DE values of thermally abused samples, regardless the packaging treatment. Plastic films led to an acceptable commercial quality, regarding weight loss and firmness, up to 42 days of storage, being RD-106Ò film the most effective. Among combined treatments, PVC+G showed the highest commercial quality values at the end of storage time and thermal abuse. Besides, selected treatments (RD-106Ò and PVC+G) kept nutritional quality, as seen by maintaining ascorbic acid and total flavonoids content and by increasing antioxidant capacity Keywords: Brussels sprouts, plastic films, edible coatings, refrigerated storage