Aplicação de Revestimento Comestível em Abacaxi Minimamente Processado

Abstract

Nowadays, as food preparation time is limited, new habits have been created leading to an increase in the consumption of ready-to-eat foods as foods that are fresh and nutritious, that present a greater durability and practicality. Thus, the objective of the present work was to evaluate the shelf life of minimally processed pineapple with edible cover based on starch. Preliminary analyzes were performed to determine the methodology that best fitthe study. The drying binomial time and temperature, theapplication of a thermal treatment (bleaching), theultra-sonic bath and the type of packaging for storing the product were established. The fruits were previously sanitized and cut in equal sizes. Subsequently bleached with 1% citric acid solution and oven dried at 50°C for 2 hours. Thereafter, a solution of 3% starch was prepared which was warmed in a thermostated bath under mechanical shaken. In the still hot suspension, the pineapples were immersed for 1 minute, removed and placed in a metal holder, which were oven dried at 50°C for 3 hours, for to adhere a film to the surface of the fruit pieces. Finally, they were vacuum packed and stored in a refrigerator at temperature of approximately 7°C. Shelf life was analyzedaccording to color, texture, pH, titratable acidity, water activity and soluble solids (°Brix) analyzes. Based on the analyzes, the pineapples showed shelf life of 10 days. The pH did not show significant changes over the days of storage. However, the values of soluble solids and water activity showed a significant increase at the end of storage days. The texture and concentrations of citric acid decreased significantly from day 3 of storage, being the texture the parameter that most differed from the characteristics presented for pineapple in natura. All the color parameters (L *, a *, b *, C *, h and ΔE) presented a significant difference, however, the pineapples remained in a lighter color range, between yellow and green-yellow, the same as pineapple in natura. So, the minimum processing technology with biodegradable films covering improves the quality of the fruit, facilitates its consumption, contributing to the reduction of losses during its productive process.