Author, institution: Ieva Brink, Kaunas University of Technology
Science area, field: Technology Sciences, Chemical Engineering – 05T
The Doctoral Dissertation is available at the library of Kaunas University of Technology (K. Donelaičio St. 20, Kaunas)
Scientific Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Daiva LESKAUSKAITĖ (Kaunas University of Technology, Technological Sciences, Chemical Engineering – 05T).
Dissertation Defence Board of Chemical Engineering Science Field:
Prof. Dr. Rimantas VENSKUTONIS (Kaunas University of Technology, Technological Sciences, Chemical Engineering – 05T) – chairman;
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ingrida BRUŽAITĖ (Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, Technological Sciences, Chemical Engineering – 05T);
Prof. Dr. Jolanta LIESIENĖ (Kaunas University of Technology, Technological Sciences, Chemical Engineering – 05T);
Dr. Dalija SEGLINA (Latvia State Institute of Fruit-Growing, Physical Sciences, Chemistry – 03P);
Prof. Dr. Pranas VIŠKELIS (Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry, Institute of Horticulture, Physical Sciences, Chemistry – 03P).
Annotation:
Preserving and maintaining the quality of food products during their shelf life is one of the basic tasks for food producers. Different physical chemical treatments are designed and applied in food technologies due to the preservation of the original quality of raw materials and food products. However, there are many investigations going on for the improvement of these technologies, finding environmental friendly and reliable multifunctional alternatives which could help to control the moisture and gas transfer processes in food as well as protect food from harmful microorganisms. Such alternative could be bio-polymeric edible films or coatings made of whey proteins, therefore whey protein edible films and coatings with various functional additives were investigated during this study. The impact of functional additives as the enzyme transglutaminase, various plasticizers, chitosan, and materials like natural quince or cranberry juice or other sources of antimicrobial substances was investigated in order to improve functional properties of whey protein films and coatings. Also the impact of these films was determined on physical chemical and microbiological properties of real and model food systems like sliced apples, strawberries and turkey meat. Moreover, the inhibitorial impact of whey protein and chitosan blend films containing quince or cranberry juice on the growth of P. expansum and pathogenic microorganisms as S. typhimurium, E. coli, and C. jejuni was investigated when applied on apples and turkey meat during storage time. Prototype technologies of the application of these films were proposed.
