Title: Preservation of fresh-cut 'Cavendish' banana coated with carrageenan and in controlled atmosphere

Authors: Margarida Rocha, Ana Luisa Vaz, Maria Filomena De Jesus Raposo, Goncalo Nieto Almeida, Alcina Maria Miranda Bernardo De Morais

Addresses: CBQF/Escola Superior de Biotecnologia, Universidade Catolica Portuguesa, Rua Dr. Antonio Bernardino de Almeida, 4200-072 Porto, Portugal. ' CBQF/Escola Superior de Biotecnologia, Universidade Catolica Portuguesa, Rua Dr. Antonio Bernardino de Almeida, 4200-072 Porto, Portugal. ' CBQF/Escola Superior de Biotecnologia, Universidade Catolica Portuguesa, Rua Dr. Antonio Bernardino de Almeida, 4200-072 Porto, Portugal. ' CBQF/Escola Superior de Biotecnologia, Universidade Catolica Portuguesa, Rua Dr. Antonio Bernardino de Almeida, 4200-072 Porto, Portugal. ' CBQF/Escola Superior de Biotecnologia, Universidade Catolica Portuguesa, Rua Dr. Antonio Bernardino de Almeida, 4200-072 Porto, Portugal

Abstract: The objective was to study the effect of two controlled atmosphere (CA) compositions – 3% O₂ and 6% CO₂, and 3%O₂ and 10% CO₂ – on total counts of microorganisms at 30°C and 7°C, count of yeasts and moulds, count of enterobacteriaceae, and count of lactic acid bacteria of carrageenan coated fresh-cut |Cavendish| banana. Bananas were previously submitted (or not) to a chemical dip of 1% calcium chloride, 0.5% ascorbic acid and 0.75% L-cystein. After a nine-day storage at 6°C, samples that had been chemically treated and submitted to CA with 10% CO₂ presented total aerobic plated count (at 30°C and 7°C), and yeasts and moulds count lower than other samples. The chemical dip improved the antimicrobial capacity of the coating associated to the controlled atmosphere conditioning, especially with 10% CO₂. Fresh-cut banana coated with carrageenan and previously chemically treated (or not) was safe during the nine-day storage at 6°C, with microbial counts below the limits referred in the literature. It is important for food industry to know the best conditions for storage in order to produce safe products.

Keywords: ascorbic acid; carrageenan coating; calcium chloride; fresh-cut bananas; microbiology; controlled atmospheres; postharvest technology; cysteine; storage conditions; postharvest quality; microorganisms; yeasts; moulds; enterobacteriaceae; lactic acid bacteria.

DOI: 10.1504/IJPTI.2011.041038

International Journal of Postharvest Technology and Innovation, 2011 Vol.2 No.2, pp.159 - 167

Published online: 18 Feb 2015 *

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