Abstract
Blueberries are popular among consumers for their high nutritional value but are highly perishable due to the microbial decay. The use of active packaging that is able to interact with the food through releasing or absorbing substances can be a valid approach to preserve the quality and increase the fruit’s shelf-life. In this paper, an active packaging based on polyethylene (PE) filled with a nano-carrier of salicylate was prepared and characterized. Fresh blueberries were packaged in passive modified atmosphere packaging (pMA) for 13 days at 8 °C. The combination of the active filler in bulk and pMA showed a significant inhibition of mold development and a reduction of the respiration rate of fruits. Moreover, the release of salicylate on blueberries did not alter the fruits’ sensory traits and preserved the firmness and the nutritional quality. Finally, the combination of active packaging and pMA resulted a valid solution to extend blueberries’ shelf-life up to 13 days.
Highlights
Highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L.), called blue huckleberry [1,2], in the last years, has become popular in Europe, where the production and commercialization have extensively increased [3] for fresh consumption and its derived products [4]
The present paper reports the preparation and characterization of active packaging obtained using a master batch of polyethylene (PE) and 25% of active filler based on Layered Double Hydroxides (LDHs) and salicylate [19]
In the case of the sample with an active molecule blended to the PE, the second release step is due to the counter-diffusion of the salicylate from the bulk of the material
Summary
Highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L.), called blue huckleberry [1,2], in the last years, has become popular in Europe, where the production and commercialization have extensively increased [3] for fresh consumption and its derived products [4]. In the last few years, it has been demonstrated that Layered Double Hydroxides (LDHs) are excellent carriers to delivery active molecules from the food packaging materials [15,16,17,18]. They can be produced on a large scale and with a high level of purity and can be modified with almost any type of organic anion. They improve the physical and barrier properties of the polymer matrix in which they are dispensed and act as nano-carriers of the active molecules intercalated between their layers
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