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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Albany, California » Western Regional Research Center » Healthy Processed Foods Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #303567
Title: Electrostatic and conventional spraying of alginate-based edible coating with natural antimicrobials for preserving fresh strawberry quality

Author
item PERETTO, GRETA - Universita Di Padova
item Du, Wen-Xian
item Avena-Bustillos, Roberto
item SAMBO, PAOLO - Universita Di Padova
item Berrios, Jose
item McHugh, Tara

Submitted to: Food and Bioprocess Technology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/21/2016
Publication Date: 10/5/2016
Citation: Peretto, G., Du, W.N., Avena-Bustillos, R.D., Sambo, P., Berrios, J.D., McHugh, T.H. 2016. Electrostatic and conventional spraying of alginate-based edible coating with natural antimicrobials for preserving fresh strawberry quality. Food and Bioprocess Technology. 10(1):164-174. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11947-016-1808-9.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11947-016-1808-9

Interpretive Summary: The electrostatic application of alginate coating enriched with carvacrol and methyl cinnamate (natural antimicrobials) on fresh strawberries was evaluated. This study also aimed to evaluate the efficiency of the electrostatic technology, compared to conventional, non- electrostatic spray methods, in terms of transfer efficiency and coating evenness. In parallel, physicochemical and textural parameters of electrostatic and non-electrostatic coated fruits were studied in comparison with uncoated controls. Electrostatic technology for the application of liquid coating showed higher functionality in terms of transfer efficiency and evenness than a conventional non-electrostatic spray method. The antimicrobial and barrier properties of alginate coating enriched with carvacrol and methyl cinnamate were enhanced by the application of electrostatic spray technology, which improved the distribution and uniformity of the coating over the target surface. These improved coating applications led to significant increase on several quality properties of electrostatic coated strawberries during storage and extended their shelf-life, especially when compared to uncoated fruits. Therefore, considering these outcomes, electrostatic spray can be adopted for potential liquid coating application to extend the shelf-life of perishable fruits and, at the same time, minimize the waste of coating material.

Technical Abstract: Microbial contamination and mold growth are common causes of strawberries deterioration during storage. The growing need for extending shelf-life while enhancing the overall quality of perishable fruits has generated increasing interest in the development of novel storage technologies. This study used electrostatic spraying technology as an innovative and efficient technique for the application of edible alginate antimicrobial coatings on freshly harvested strawberries. The efficiency of the electrostatic technology was compared to non-electrostatic, conventional spray method in terms of transfer efficiency and coating evenness. Furthermore, physicochemical and textural parameters of electrostatic and non-electrostatic spray coated fruits were studied and compared to uncoated controls. Both electrostatic and non-electrostatic sprayed coatings exerted similar effect in delaying microbial growth, when compared to uncoated strawberries. However, the electrostatic spraying technology demonstrated higher transfer efficiency and evenness than the conventional spray method, which led to a significant reduction of visible decay. At the end of the storage time, the electrostatic spray coating demonstrated superior performance on strawberry firmness and weight loss reduction.