106 Cellulose Coatings Reduce Rancidity of Pecans
Pecans (Carya illinoinensis) are full of unsaturated fatty acids, which are subject to oxidative cleavage. This results in the development of rancid off-flavors, which render the nuts unmarketable. For this reason, pecans must be stored under costly refrigerated conditions. Furthermore, pecans usually undergo retail distribution and marketing at ambient conditions, which promote development of off-flavors. Application of cellulose-based edible coatings reduced off-flavor, and improved overall flavor scores while adding shine to the nuts during 14 months of storage under ambient conditions. Development of rancidity involves hydrolysis of glycerides into free fatty acids, oxidation of double bonds of unsaturated fatty acids to form peroxides and then autooxidation of the free fatty acids once the peroxides reach a sufficient level to perpetuate this reaction. One of the products of autooxidation is hexanal which is, thus, a good indicator of rancidity. Analysis of pecans by gas chromatography revealed that hexanal levels were reduced in coated nuts by 5- to over 200-fold compared to uncoated controls, depending on the coating treatment. Some of the coating treatments affected nut color, but overall flavor and appearance were improved by certain formulations.