![]() ![]() Many perishable fruit and vegetables possess in fact high metabolic activity and suffer from high possibility of microbial contamination, resulting in short shelf-life, fungal decay, colour change, and off-flavour 2. For fruit and vegetable commodities, the FAO has estimated a 50% loss of crops throughout the food supply chain, mainly concentrated in the postharvest, distribution and end-user consumption stages and mostly due to the premature deterioration of perishable crops. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations has estimated that one-third of the food produced for human consumption worldwide is annually lost or wasted along the chain that stretches from farms to postharvest treatments, processing, distribution and end-user consumption 1. The water-based processing and edible nature of silk fibroin makes this approach a promising alternative for food preservation with a naturally derived material.įood waste has an impact on food quality and safety, representing a loss of economic value and resources, and, a hindrance to economic development. Thus, silk fibroin coatings enhance fruits’ shelf life at room conditions by reducing cell respiration rate and water evaporation. ![]() By using the dip coating of strawberries and bananas as proof of principle, we have shown that the formation of micrometre-thin silk fibroin membranes around the fruits helps the management of postharvest physiology of the fruits. In particular, an increased beta-sheet content corresponds to a reduction in oxygen diffusion through silk fibroin thin films. O 2 and CO 2 diffusion, water vapour permeability), which is a key parameter to manage food freshness. The water-based post-processing control of the protein polymorphism enables the modulation of the diffusion of gases through the silk fibroin thin membranes (e.g. polymorphism, conformability and hydrophobicity) to design a water-based protein suspension that self-assembles on the surface of food upon dip coating. In this study, we leveraged silk fibroin quintessential properties (i.e. The regeneration of structural biopolymers into micelles or nanoparticles suspended in water has enabled the design of new materials with unique and compelling properties that can serve at the interface between the biotic and the abiotic worlds. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |