Preservation of fresh-cut Rocha Pear using Codium tomentosum extract

Abstract

Rocha is a Portuguese pear cultivar with high economic importance in the Portuguese Western Region. Degradative processes following its manipulation can quickly lead to product rejection, especially when sold as a fresh-cut product. The efficacy of a marine-based edible coating to inhibit superficial browning development in fresh-cut Rocha pear slices was investigated over a storage period of 15 days. The aqueous extract of Codium tomentosum, an edible green seaweed, was incorporated in an edible coating (0.5 g 100 mL−1) for fresh-cut Rocha pear. This novel treatment effect on the quality parameters of the pears was compared with a commercial coating currently used by industry and a control (dipping in deionised water). After 15 days storage at 4 °C, samples treated with the seaweed extract exhibited fewer colour changes and lower rates of superficial browning than control and commercial samples. Seaweed extract treatment was also observed to inhibit yeast and mould development, which may further contribute to shelf-life extension.