Effect of Gelatin Concentration on Humidity-Dependent Film Properties and Coating Performance: A Case Study of Vacuum-Packaged Sliced Cooked Cured Pork Loin
4 affiliations
- 1Department of Biochemistry and Food Chemistry, Faculty of Food Science and Biotechnology, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Skromna 8, 20-704 Lublin, Poland
- 2Department of Animal Food Technology, Faculty of Food Science and Biotechnology, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Skromna 8, 20-704 Lublin, Poland
- 3Institute of Engineering Sciences, Faculty of Materials, Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Bielsko-Biala, Willowa 2, 43-309 Bielsko-Biala, Poland
- 4Department of Biomedicine and Environmental Research, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Health, The John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, Konstantynów 1J, 20-708 Lublin, Poland
Abstract
This study evaluated gelatin (GEL)-based edible coatings as a complementary preservation approach for sliced cooked cured pork loin (CCPL) vacuum-packaged in polyamide/polyethylene (PA/PE) film and stored at 4 °C for 21 days, focusing on the effect of GEL concentration (5% vs. 10%) on film properties and coating performance. GEL films were characterized at 40–90% relative humidity (RH), with PA/PE film as a benchmark. Despite the more compact cryo-SEM microstructure of the 10%-GEL film/coating-forming solution network, the resulting films showed no significant differences in microstructure, crystallinity, or most physicochemical properties. Compared with the PA/PE, GEL films exhibited a more compact structure, higher transparency, stronger UVB/UVC-blocking capacity, lower oxygen permeability at 40–60% RH (127.75–1231.25 vs. 4234.06–5056.72 cm3 μm m−2 d−1), and higher puncture strength at RH ≤ 70% (9.12–15.24 vs. ~6.6 MPa). Increasing RH elevated oxygen permeability in all films and moisture uptake in GEL films, thereby reducing their mechanical strength. Coating application was associated with reduced oxidative stability and increased microbial counts, with effects varying by GEL concentration and storage time. These findings demonstrate that favorable film properties measured under standard conditions do not necessarily translate into effective preservation of meat products when employed as edible coatings.
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BibTeX
@article{kowalczyk2026effect,
title = {{Effect of Gelatin Concentration on Humidity-Dependent Film Properties and Coating Performance: A Case Study of Vacuum-Packaged Sliced Cooked Cured Pork Loin}},
author = {Dariusz Kowalczyk and Karolina Wójciak and Paulina Kęska and Monika Basiura-Cembala and Tomasz Skrzypek},
journal = {Polymers},
year = {2026},
month = nov,
doi = {10.3390/polym18212790},
url = {https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/18/21/2790},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Effect of Gelatin Concentration on Humidity-Dependent Film Properties and Coating Performance: A Case Study of Vacuum-Packaged Sliced Cooked Cured Pork Loin
AU - Dariusz Kowalczyk
AU - Karolina Wójciak
AU - Paulina Kęska
AU - Monika Basiura-Cembala
AU - Tomasz Skrzypek
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/11/08
JO - Polymers
DO - 10.3390/polym18212790
UR - https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/18/21/2790
AB - This study evaluated gelatin (GEL)-based edible coatings as a complementary preservation approach for sliced cooked cured pork loin (CCPL) vacuum-packaged in polyamide/polyethylene (PA/PE) film and stored at 4 °C for 21 days, focusing on the effect of GEL concentration (5% vs. 10%) on film properties and coating performance. GEL films were characterized at 40–90% relative humidity (RH), with PA/PE film as a benchmark. Despite the more compact cryo-SEM microstructure of the 10%-GEL film/coating-forming solution network, the resulting films showed no significant differences in microstructure, crystallinity, or most physicochemical properties. Compared with the PA/PE, GEL films exhibited a more compact structure, higher transparency, stronger UVB/UVC-blocking capacity, lower oxygen permeability at 40–60% RH (127.75–1231.25 vs. 4234.06–5056.72 cm3 μm m−2 d−1), and higher puncture strength at RH ≤ 70% (9.12–15.24 vs. ~6.6 MPa). Increasing RH elevated oxygen permeability in all films and moisture uptake in GEL films, thereby reducing their mechanical strength. Coating application was associated with reduced oxidative stability and increased microbial counts, with effects varying by GEL concentration and storage time. These findings demonstrate that favorable film properties measured under standard conditions do not necessarily translate into effective preservation of meat products when employed as edible coatings.
SN - 2073-4360
ER -