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OXYGEN TRANSMISSION RATE of an EDIBLE METHYLCELLULOSE‐PALMITIC ACID FILM 1
Author(s) -
RICOPẼNA DELMY C.,
TORRES J. ANTONIO
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
journal of food process engineering
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.507
H-Index - 45
eISSN - 1745-4530
pISSN - 0145-8876
DOI - 10.1111/j.1745-4530.1990.tb00063.x
Subject(s) - relative humidity , chemistry , oxygen permeability , oxygen , palmitic acid , permeability (electromagnetism) , nuclear chemistry , analytical chemistry (journal) , food science , chromatography , membrane , biochemistry , organic chemistry , physics , fatty acid , thermodynamics
ABSTRACT Edible coatings with low potassium sorbate permeability could be used to increase the microbial stability of food surfaces. However, such coatings could induce anaerobic food conditions if their oxygen permeability were low. the oxygen permeability of an edible emulsion film (average thickness, 55 μm), composed of methylcellulose and palmitic acid (weight ratio of 3:1), was evaluated at 24°C, atmospheric pressure, and at different percentages of relative humidity (RH). RH values in the 0–57% range had no significant effect on oxygen transmission rate (OTR); calculated OTR values ranged from 660 to 740 mL O 2 (STP)/m 2 24h atm. At 79% RH, the OTR doubled to 1,500 mL O 2 (STP)/m 2 24h atm. This effect correlated well with the moisture isotherm for the film which showed a low moisture content in the 0–57% RH range and a rapid increase at higher RH values. OTR values, particularly at high relative humidity, indicate no risk of developing anaerobic conditions on the food surface.