CONICET | Buscador de Institutos y Recursos Humanos

This paper focusses on the mathematical modeling of the ascorbic acid (antioxidant) release from a pectin edible film (packaging) to an agar hydrogel (food). The proposed model considers the viscoelastic properties of the polymeric film, the solid ascorbic acid dissolution inside the film, its degradation anddiffusion in both the film and the hydrogel. By relying on the independent determination of all its parameters, the model proved to predict the ascorbic acid transport inside the agar hydrogel properly. Thus, it may be considered a powerful theoretical tool for the design of polymeric films (packaging) aimed at releasing antioxidant agents inside food.