Influence of cellulose nanocrystals gellan gum-based coating on color and respiration rate of Agaricus bisporus mushrooms

The edible coating has been used for covering fruits and vegetables, bringing surface protection, and extending product shelf-life. Due to the outstanding properties, nanomaterials have become a part of the packaging/coating new generation, demonstrating improvements in the barrier capacity of materials starting from construction products to the food industry. In the food industry, on the other hand, Agaricus bisporus mushrooms have a limited shelf-life from 1 to 3 days because of their high respiration rate and enzymatic browning. With the aim to reduce these two parameters and prevent rapid senescence, the objective of this study was to incorporate a natural source of nanomaterials (cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) into a gellan gum-based coating and sprayed the surface of the mushrooms with the coating material. To evaluate the effect of CNCs, oxygen consumption, carbon dioxide production rate, and color change were recorded during the mushroom storage at 4 +/- 1 degrees C. Results showed that all coatings were able to decrease total color change (Delta E) of mushrooms from 12 to 8 at day 10 when the coating was applied in all samples compared to control. In addition, significant differences were observed in the respiration rate when CNCs were added to the mushrooms. Oxygen consumption results exhibited a 44 mL O-2/kg center dot day production at day 5 with 20% CNCs compared to 269 mL O-2/kg center dot day observed in noncoated samples. This trend was similarly observed in the carbon dioxide production rate.

Automated summary

Edible coatings can help extend the shelf-life of food products, while nanomaterials can improve the barrier capacity of packaging materials. Incorporating cellulose nanocrystals into a coating for Agaricus bisporus mushrooms was found to decrease oxygen consumption and carbon dioxide production rates, thus extending the shelf-life of the mushrooms.