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    Integrative programming for simulation of packaging headspace and shelf life of fresh produce
    (Amsterdam [u.a.] : Elsevier, 2021) Jalali, Ali; Linke, Manfred; Geyer, Martin; Mahajan, Pramod
    Fresh horticultural products are exposed to different environmental conditions from farm to fork. Barrier properties of packaging and physiological behaviour of produce, namely respiration and transpiration can affect headspace conditions surrounding produce and consequently remaining shelf life. Packaging material also plays a role in heat and mass transfer, such as thermal conduction and permeation of O2, CO2 and water vapour. All of these behaviours are integrated together in the form of ordinary differential equations and solved using numerical methods in MATLAB. • The simulation program is useful for designing the size and number of perforations to achieve equilibrium modified atmosphere alone or in combination with packaging material having a higher water transmission rate or active moisture absorber. • The simulation program is also useful for predicting the shelf life of fresh produce under the actual supply chain conditions. • The simulation program provides a flexible system to input predefined supply chain conditions and the properties of fresh produce and packaging material, thus, minimizing the costly and time consuming experimental procedures for selecting the optimum packaging material for fresh produce.
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    Relevance of interactions between starch-based coatings and plum fruit surfaces: A physical-chemical analysis
    (Basel : MDPI AG, 2019) Basiak, Ewelina; Geyer, Martin; Debeaufort, Frédéric; Lenart, Andrzej; Linke, Manfred
    In order to extend the shelf life of the fruit, improve appearance, and to keep all nutrition properties of the plum from diminishing, edible coatings comprised of wheat starch and wheat starch–whey protein isolate (in ratio 80/20) were created. Stand-alone films were produced to assess properties which helped to understand the phenomena occurring on the surface level of coated plums. The properties of coatings based on starch are similar to starch coatings containing oil because the natural epicuticular wax layer of plums merges with coating materials. Adding oil doubled the contact angle value and the dispersive component of the surface tension. The workings of adhesion and cohesion, spreading coefficient, water absorption, water content, and solubility in water of the films decreased. Similar processes were observed on the fruits’ surface. In appearance, the coating process is similar to polishing the plum surface for removing crystalline wax. The color parameters of coated fruits did not significantly change. Newly formed bonds or interactions established between starch, whey proteins, water, glycerol, and oil are displayed by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis. This work revealed how the interactions between the epicuticular wax on the fruit’s surface and the hydrocolloid-based coatings affect the efficiency of the coatings. © 2019 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.