Avocados are becoming more and more popular: whether spread on toast, in guacamole or in a salad, they are the star ingredient of many a meal. However, it is a delicate fruit, Which changes from hard textured green to soft textured brown in the blink of an eye.
researchers from now on American Chemical Society has presented the coating chitosan based which makes them last longer. The team has also developed an imaging technique predict its end early As published in the journal ‘ACS Food Science & Technology’.
How to know if an avocado is ripe
To know if an avocado is ripe, most people squeeze them gently, and a little fluff indicates that they are already in that state. Growers perform similar evaluations to determine which avocados can withstand transportation to grocery stores. Despite these tests, some break prematurely.
For this reason, researchers have developed techniques to delay maturation using compounds such as 1-methyl-cyclopropene (1-MCP). Recently, studies have shown that naturally occurring chitosan – a Biomaterials derived from the exoskeletons of molluscs– Provides antimicrobial activity when applied topically to fruits including avocados.
So Angie Homz-Jara, Angelica Sandoval-Aldana and their colleagues wanted to compare the effectiveness of two preservation methods on the quality and shelf life of avocados. researchers tried Hass Avocados The most commonly cultivated variety around the world is commercially matured with gaseous 1-MCP or with aqueous solutions containing various concentrations of chitosan.
Simulating realistic shipping conditions, treated and untreated avocados cooled to 41°F (5 °C) for 21 days and then moved to room temperature to simulate a grocery store environment until they decompose.
Untreated samples and those treated with 1-MCP or 1 percent chitosan-based coating were at their optimum ripening point for 6 days. Fruits are treated with 1.5 percent chitosan-based coating They were at their optimum for 12 days.
However, one of these samples also had uneven firmness on ripening as well as green and purple spots on the skin, which the researchers say could be improved with a chitosan coating in the future.
Throughout the study, the researchers imaged the entire surface of the fruit with hyperspectral cameras in the visible and near-infrared spectrum.
Next, they compared the images’ reflectance data to determine firmness, skin color, oxygen consumption and weight loss of avocado using different computer models.
Two machine learning models better explain the changes that occur during avocado ripening and can predict their remaining shelf life. The researchers claim that their chitosan-based coating and prediction technology may Help improve shelf life and quality of avocados for sale.
