Advisor(s)
Abstract(s)
The effects of alginate edible coating on the quality of pansies (visual appearance, weight loss, water activity,
color, and dimensions change) were studied during refrigerated storage (4 C). The role of pansies’ color and
size, as well as packaging, was also studied. Alginate treatments resulted in a beneficial effect on the visual
appearance of pansies under refrigerated storage when compared to the uncoated, delaying their degradation
from 3–4 days up to 14 days, depending on the pansies’ color, probably derived from their different petal
thicknesses (83 to 183 mm for yellow and red pansies). The unpackaged coated pansies had different behaviors
during storage, associated with their dimensions (the larger coated pansies maintained good visual
appearance during longer storage times than the smaller ones). However, the packaged pansies treated
with edible coating showed to have lower weight loss and shrinkage than the unpackaged, irrespective of the
color and size, with physical stability up to 14 days. In summary, the cumulative use of alginate coating with
packaging under refrigerated storage may contribute to extend pansies’ shelf life.
Description
Keywords
Alginate coating Cold storage Flowers Shelf life Visual appearance
Citation
Fernandes, Luana; Pereira, José A.; Baptista, Paula; Saraiva, Jorge A.; Ramalhosa, Elsa; Casal, Susana (2018). Effect of application of edible coating and packaging on the quality of pansies (Viola × wittrockiana) of different colors and sizes. Food Science and Technology International. ISSN 1082-0132. 24, p. 321-329