EDIBLE COATING DEVELOPMENT TO EXTEND SHELF LIFE OF FRUITS

• Main Author: Evelina, Grace
• Format: Final Project
• Language: Indonesia
• Subjects: Teknik (Rekayasa, enjinering dan kegiatan berkaitan)
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/38658
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

Bananas and mangoes are some of the most favored tropical fruits and have the potential to become export commodities in Indonesia. However, these fruits are easily damaged and have a short shelf life because of their high water content. One way to extend the shelf life of fruits is to use edible coatings. This study aimed to determine the effect of storage temperature and type of edible coatings on the shelf life of mangoes and bananas, as well as the effect of the level maturity on the bananas’ shelf life. 6,4% beeswax and a composite of 10% arabic gum and 1% chitosan were used as edible coating materials which results were compared to control fruits. The effectiveness of edible coatings was evaluated by several parameters, specifically weight loss, pH, fruit skin color, fruit flesh color, hardness, decay incidence (DI), and soluble solids concentration (SSC). Mangoes were stored in a variety of storage conditions, namely room temperature (26,5oC), showcase (10,2oC), and wine cooler (12,4oC). Meanwhile, bananas were stored in showcase (10,3oC) and wine cooler (12,7oC) with variations in maturity levels of 80% and 90%. Experimental results indicated that the use of edible coatings and the storage of fruits at lower temperatures generally could reduce weight loss by 23,6% and decay incidence (DI) by 85%, slowing changes in soluble solid concentrations (SSC), pH, and the color of the fruits’ skin and flesh, and also maintaining hardness. However, storage at 12,7oC is recommended over 10oC with the same fruits’ maturity level to avoid chilling injury on bananas. The use of 6,4% beeswax was more effective than the composite of 10% arabic gum and 1% chitosan in extending the shelf life of mangoes and bananas. In addition, the use of bananas with a maturity level of 80% could extend the shelf life of bananas for up to 7 days compared to bananas with a maturity level of 90%.