DEVELOPMENT OF EDIBLE FILM FROM APPLE POMACE INCORPORATED WITH PROBIOTIC MICRO-ORGANISMS.
Apple pomace, Lactobacillus casei, Bibfobacterium, Immobilization, Viability, Probiotic Films.
Residual biomass from agroindustrial activities is a rich resource in terms of bioactive compounds that is easily exploitable, which can be used to produce new materials, reducing environmental impacts and improving productions’ sustainability. The amount of pomace generated during the pressing process of apple juices reaches 35% of the total processed fruit, demanding the industry’s attention to its disposal due its high perishability. Considering its composition, apple pomace is one of the main sources of commercial pectin. This polysaccharide is widely used in the food industry as gelling agent, stabilizer and thickener, and has the ability to form films. Edible films are considered a good strategy to delivery probiotic micro-organisms, keeping its viability during food processing and gastrointestinal tract. Therefore, the objective of the present study is the development of an edible film from apple pomace incorporated with probiotic micro-organisms. The film composition will be defined through an experimental design and the survival of the tested strains will be evaluated in differently formulated films. Finally, the characterization, sensory analysis and the study of the micro-organisms viability will be performed during gastrointestinal tract and during storage at room temperature and under refrigeration (4 ± 1°C) at 0, 15, 30, 45 and 60 days for the sected formulation.