3.2. Texture
Texture is a key quality factor of fresh and minimally processed
carrots. Fig. 4 shows the evolution of the maximum shear force
as a function of storage time. Results showed that sprayed carrots
possessed a harder texture when compared to that of control and
dipped samples. Sprayed samples preserved (P < 0.05) the highest
force values until day 9 of storage. These results can be attributed
to the fact that sprayed samples exhibited the lowest weight loss
up to day 9 of storage.
The results generated in this study show that sprayed chitosanbased
coatings maintain product firmness values for longer.
However, it is worth noting that all samples exhibited very low
weight loss, and thus the similar values of firmness found in this
study, indicating the close relationship between weight loss and
firmness, as also shown by Gonzalez-Aguilar et al. (2004).