Edible Coating for Shelf-Life Extension of Fresh Banana Fruit Based on Gamma Irradiated Plasticized Poly(vinyl alcohol)/Carboxymethyl Cellulose/Tannin Composites

Abstract

The interest in the development of edible and biodegradable films has increased because it is every day more evident that non-degradable materials are doing much damage to the environment. Blends based on different ratios of plasticized poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA), carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) and Tannin compound were prepared by solution casting in the form of thin films. Then the blend films were exposed to different doses of gamma radiation. First, the effect of gamma irradiation and the Tannin compound, as an antimicrobial agent, on the thermal and mechanical properties was investigated. As an application in the field of the prolongation of food preservation lifetime, banana fruits were coated with solutions of gamma irradiated PVA/CMC blends in the presence of Tannin. The results showed that the gamma irradiation improved the thermal properties, which provides suitable materials based on natural biodegradable polymers for food preservation withstanding the temperature and stresses.