The Effect of High-Fructose Corn Syrup on the Physicochemical and Sensory Properties of Frozen Ripe and Half-Ripe Bananas: An Experimental Industrial Scale Study

Edible coatings have been investigated recently as an effective and eco-friendly alternative to protect and preserve foods (e.g., from oxygen exchange and water transfer) and for shelf-life extension. Nowadays, advanced freezing methods, such as individual quick freezing (IQF), have various benefits which have enabled new applications of the technology in food products and in the food industry. Insofar, research has not been conducted to assess the use and effects of high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) as an edible coating on the shelf-life extension of ripe and half-ripe frozen bananas (i.e., via IQF). In this research, the novel combined method of using a HFCS as edible coating and IQF were applied to avoid the enzymatic browning of banana slices during freezing. In this experimental study, the effects of 55% HFCS, as an edible coating, on firmness, colour intensity, total phenolic content (TPC), and sensory properties (colour, aroma, taste, and overall acceptance) of ripe and half-ripe bananas were examined after IQF. The highest overall acceptance was observed for coated half-ripe bananas followed by coated ripe bananas. The use of 55% HFCS for coating IQF bananas can improve the quality and delay enzymatic browning, especially in half-ripe bananas.