Investigation of edible coatings on the physical, chemical and microbiological characteristics of processed melons during storage

¹ Institute of Food Preservation and Quality, Agriculture Academy of Bulgaria, 4003 Plovdiv, Bulgaria
² Department of Physics, Faculty of Physics and Technology, Plovdiv University “Paisii Hilendarski”, 4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria

^* Corresponding author: s.zhelyazkov@canri.org

Abstract

The possible use of chitosan coating on fresh-cut melons (Cucumis melo var. Cantalupensis) was investigated in this research topic. Manually sliced melons were treated with solutions of 10 g/kg chitosan and 10 g/kg chitosan with calcium lactate and then stored at 4°C for 8 days. Physical, physicochemical, microbiological and sensory properties of the samples were monitored during the storage period. It was found that chitosan coatings inhibited the growth of microorganisms and affected significantly and positively the storage time of the products. Changes in the sensory qualities of taste were evaluated. A chitosan coating retarded water loss and the drop in sensory quality, increasing the soluble solid content and titratable acidity. The data revealed that applying a chitosan coating preserved effectively the quality and extended the shelf life of fresh-cut melons.