Food or edible material: processes – compositions – and products – Surface coated – fluid encapsulated – laminated solid...
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-09
2001-10-09
Corbin, Arthur L. (Department: 1761)
Food or edible material: processes, compositions, and products
Surface coated, fluid encapsulated, laminated solid...
C426S093000, C426S102000, C426S303000, C426S310000, C426S573000, C426S575000, C426S615000, C426S654000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06299915
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates generally to the preservation of food and agricultural products. More particularly, the invention relates to a hydrocolloid protective coating which provides improved protection of the food and/or agricultural product, thereby extending its shelf-life.
The invention also relates to other aspects, e.g. to a method for producing the protective coating and to food and agricultural products protected by such coating.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The need to prolong shelf-life of food products, in particularly fresh produce, without harming quality, is well recognized. Many coating formulations are disclosed in the literature.
One of the known methods for coating fresh produce such as onions and edible fungi is to form a coating by applying to the exterior surfaces of onions or fungi a gelation solution comprising a hydrocolloid such as sodium alginate, and cross linking the hydrocolloid on the surface by a solution comprising a gelation inducing agent, such as CaCl
2
.
The so-obtained coating is both biodegradable and edible, and provides a protective coating to the treated vegetable. U.S. Pat. No. 3,865,962 discloses a process for coating raw onion products by immersion of the onion in an aqueous dispersion containing water soluble algin and subsequently treating the coated onion with an aqueous calcium ion to induce gelation.
EP 277 448 discloses an edible coating containing gelatin and polysaccharide. A cross-linking agent containing calcium ions is used for obtaining the coating.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,198,254 and 5,376,391 are directed to increasing the stability of fruits, vegetables and fungi by coating same with a composition comprising a polysaccharide polymer, a preservative an acidulant and two emulsifiers including lecithin, as well as optionally at least one antioxidant, a plant growth regulator and/or a chilling injury protectant. The polysaccharide polymer is preferably carboxymethylcellulose, but instead may be another hydrocolloid. Regardless, the polysaccharide polymer, even if a hydrocolloid, is not of the type which can undergo gelation without a gelation inducing agent, and these patents only involve drying of the coating composition on the product to be protected, and never gelation.
Moreover, none of the prior art documents discloses a coating containing in its matrix a compound having a specific reference to the surface of the product to be coated.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved protective coating for food and agricultural products.
A more specific object is to provide a coating tailored to the specific food or agricultural product.
Another object of the invention is to control the hydrophobicity of the coating and its chemical compatability to the skin surface, thereby improving adhesiveness to the product and thus resulting in better control of the modulated atmosphere surrounding the coated product.
The invention provides a protective coating for food or agricultural product comprising 5-85% dried hydrocolloid gel, together with 0.2-50% of at least one natural compound isolated from the surface layers of said product which provides a protective function, i.e. a protective natural compound, or at least one protective compound substantially similar thereto. By “compound substantially similar thereto”, what is meant is a chemical compound, whether natural or synthetic, which has both (1) a chemical structure similar to the chemical structure of the natural compound isolated from or found in the surface layers of the product, and (2) a protective function which is not substantially less than the protective function of said natural compound. Once the natural protective compound has been isolated and identified chemically structurally similar compounds can then be routinely tested for their protective activity.
The invention also provides a method for producing a protective coating for food and/or agricultural products comprising applying to the external surface of said product a gelation solution comprising a hydrocolloid and, optionally, a solution comprising a gelation inducing agent, wherein at least one of said solutions further comprises at least one said protective natural compound isolated from the surface layers of said product, or at least one said protective compound substantially similar thereto.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5128159 (1992-07-01), Sayles
patent: 5156866 (1992-10-01), Sato et al.
patent: 5198254 (1993-03-01), Nisperos-Carriedo et al.
patent: 5376391 (1994-12-01), Nisperos-Carriedo et al.
patent: 6068867 (2000-05-01), Nussinovitch et al.
Hershko Varda
Nussinovitch Amos
Rabinowitch Haim D.
Browdy and Neimark
Corbin Arthur L.
Yissum Research Development Company of the Hebrew University of
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