Functionality of Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium bifidum incorporated to edible coatings and films

Abstract

This work deals with the design and formulation of gelatin edible coatings and films of incorporated with probiotic bacteria Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium bifidum. A gelatin coating incorporated with B. bifidum was applied to fish to assess its effect during chilled storage. B. bifidum remained viable during the storage and H2S-producing microorganisms were reduced in 2 log cycles. In a further experiment, fish coated with gelatin films incorporated with bifidobacteria was treated with a high pressure (200 MPa/10 min/20°C). At the end of the storage, a reduction of total viable counts (< 2 log cycles) were obtained. Moreover, the combined treatments drastically reduced the content of volatile bases and lowered the pH by more than 1 unit. Furthermore, the application of gelatin edible packaging incorporated with bacteria can be promising for fish preservation, especially when combined with other technologies such as a high-pressure. Industrial relevance: Gelatin edible coatings and films could act as a proper matrix to incorporate lactic acid bacteria to some foods. The application of those edible packaging confer stability during storage of chilled fish, especially in combination with high pressure treatment. These novel packaging was promising for fish preservation. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd.