Pectin Edible Film Obtained from Orange Peel: Characterization and Application to Improve the Quality of Minimally Processed Apples

Abstract

Brazil is the leading orange juice producer worldwide. Only about 50% of an orange is juice, so an enormous amount of waste is generated annually. In this context, studies involving alternatives for repurposing the remaining 50%, so it is not wasted or sent to landfill, are an issue of responsibility. In the present work, pectin is extracted to obtain a film-forming solution (FFS). The extracted pectin is classified as high ester pectin since its degree of esterification (%DE) is higher than 50%. The FFS gives rise to transparent films with a low yellowing index. The addition of CaCl₂ produces a crosslinked film with a 35% and 50% percentage increase in the contact angle and tensile strength, respectively. A FFS is proposed to be used without and with CaCl₂ as edible packaging material. Herein, it is applied as an edible coating (EC), directly onto the peeled apple slices, or as an edible wrapping film. Both strategies aim to delay the browning of apples, evaluated by the browning index (BI). This result is important for the marketing of fresh-cut fruits since the acceptance by consumers is strongly influenced by visual aspects.