Effects of edible coating (Aloevera gel) and type of packaging on the quality of Hayward kiwi fruit

The modified atmosphere packaging and edible coating are applied to attained the objectives such as improving the quality of food products and increasing their durability. The impact of edible coating of aloe vera gel and packaging type on the quality of kiwifruit with Hayward cultivar was investigated. The test variables included type of coating in 4 levels (sample without coating (control), 10, 20 and 30% V-V of aloe vera gel) and packaging in two levels (normal air and modified atmosphere packaging 5% O2, 10% CO2 and 85% N2) and maintenance time in 4 levels (0, 3, 6 and 9 weeks). Kiwifruits were coated by immersion method. Then, they were packaged by three-layer plastic bags with 80 micron in diameter and kept in 20°C. All specimens were produced by three iterations and results were analyzed by SPSS. Tests included the determination of antioxidant capacity, measurement of total phenol content, determination of total acid ascorbic content, investigation of color changes and sensory evaluation. Results showed that the improved quality of specimens’ colors in modified atmosphere packaging together with the edible coatings was significant. Total amount of phenol and antioxidant capacity were larger in specimens with coatings with higher concentration and in antioxidant capacity. In specimens with higher concentration of aloe vera, the acid ascorbic was less destroyed. From the sensory evaluators’ point of view, the specimens coated under the modified atmosphere were ranked higher. In total, the modified atmosphere and coating of aloe vera gel improved the quality of the stored kiwifruit.