Evaluation of edible coatings for microbiological and physicochemical quality maintenance of fresh cut papaya

Abstract

Fresh cut fruits face more challenges owing to their more chances for microbial spoilage. Edible coatings can act as a barrier to keep their organoleptic quality intact and to control microbial spoilage. In the present study, six different edible coatings were evaluated for their antimicrobial efficacy over fresh cut papaya that showed coated samples have low microbial count as compared to uncoated samples. Alginate, pectin, and chitosan showed at par results in controlling microbial growth over FC papaya. However, pectin-coated FC papaya showed more significant results in terms of microbial inhibition and quality maintenance. Optimization studies revealed that FC papaya dipped in 1% w/v pectin for 3 min resulted in 5–6 days shelf life extension in contrast to uncoated sample. Shelf life studies showed that pectin-coated FC papaya stored under refrigeration can be consumed till 12th day with all its quality characteristics and microbial load under acceptable limits. Practical Applications Evaluation of different edible coatings over fresh cut papaya and optimization of coating conditions can help in developing a technology to extend the shelf life of fresh cut fruits. Edible coatings over fresh cut fruit is an interesting way to enhance the shelf life of fresh cut besides increasing its nutraceutical values. The developed protocol can help the fruit growers to opt for technology and to increase the fresh cut market in North India.