Bilayer edible coating with stabilized Lactobacillus plantarum 299v improved the shelf life and safety quality of fresh-cut apple slices

In this study, a bilayer probiotic edible coating was developed for fresh-cut apple slices. Lactobacillus plantarum 299v-containing carboxymethyl cellulose solution was applied to the apple slices as the primary coating, followed by a secondary coating with zein. As a result, the probiotic bacteria L. plantarum 299v remained stable on the coated apple slices during 7 days storage at 4 degrees C (>6 log CFU/g) and only manifested a drop of 2.24 +/- 0.08 log CFU/g during simulated digestion. The bilayer probiotic edible coating was able to induce significantly less weight loss of the apple slices, suppress yeasts and moulds, and inhibit the proliferation of spiked Listeria monocytogenes during the chilled storage (P < 0.05). Taken together, our results demonstrated that the bilayer probiotic edible coating with stabilized L. plantarum 299v as developed in this study was able to improve the shelf life and safety quality of fresh-cut apple slices.

Automated summary

The study developed a bilayer probiotic edible coating for fresh-cut apple slices, which showed potential in improving shelf life and safety quality. The coating stabilized L. plantarum 299v, suppressed microbial growth, and reduced weight loss effectively.