Abstract
Achieving high quality of a coated food product is mostly dependent on the characteristics of the food material to be coated, the properties of the components in the coating solution, and the obtained coating material. In the present study, usability and effectiveness of various components as well as their concentrations were assessed to produce an effective coating material. For this purpose, different concentrations of gelling agent (sodium alginate 0–3.5%, w/w), plasticizers (glycerol and sorbitol (0–20%, w/w), surfactants (tween 40, tween 80, span 60, span 80, lecithin (0–5%, w/w), and vegetable oils (sunflower oil, olive oil, rapeseed oil (0–5%, w/w) were used to prepare edible coating solutions. Formulations were built gradually, and characteristics of coatings were evaluated by analyzing surface tension values and its polar and dispersive components, emulsion droplet size, and optical appearance in microscopic scale. The results obtained showed that 1.25% sodium alginate, 2% glycerol, 0.2% sunflower oil, 1% span 80, and 0.2% tween 40 or tween 80 can be used in formulation to obtain an effective coating for hydrophobic food surfaces. Three formulations were designed, and their stability (emulsion droplet size, optical characteristics, and creaming index) and wettability tests on strawberry showed that they could be successfully used in coating applications.
Highlights
The development of new packaging materials for the food industries, due to increased health and environment-consciousness, is a rapidly growing area
The results obtained showed that 1.25% sodium alginate, 2% glycerol, 0.2% sunflower oil, 1% span 80, and 0.2% tween 40 or tween 80 can be used in formulation to obtain an effective coating for hydrophobic food surfaces
The results indicated a statistically insignificant decrease in surface tension when alginate concentration was increased (p > 0.05, Kruskal–Wallis test)
Summary
The development of new packaging materials for the food industries, due to increased health and environment-consciousness, is a rapidly growing area. There has been an increased amount of research on renewable, sustainable materials to use for packaging [1]. One of these approaches is edible films and coatings, which are biodegradable packaging formulated from edible components such as various animal or vegetal origin substances [1,2]. Film solution is deposited on an inert surface, uniformly spread, and various techniques like solvent removal, thermal gelation, and melting followed by solidification are applied to obtain the stand alone wrapping material. Edible coatings are applied on the surface of the food product by dipping, spraying, spreading, and vacuum impregnation methods, and are created as a thin layer on the surface [5,6,7]
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