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ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #64672

Title: EDIBLE COATINGS FROM MORPHOLINE-FREE WAX MICROEMULSIONS

Author
item Hagenmaier, Robert - Bob
item Baker, Robert

Submitted to: Journal of Food Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/21/1996
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Fresh citrus and many other fruits are coated in order to make them attractive to the consumer. Waxes are of some value as fruit coatings because they preserve quality of fresh produce, although they admittedly give coated fruit less gloss than coatings currently used - all of which contain very little wax. For the present work a number of different formulations were made and tested in an attempt to develop better wax coatings, and also to make known their compositions to other research workers. These particular wax formulations were made without morpholine.

Technical Abstract: Coatings were made by the drying of wax microemulsions composed of water, wax, fatty acid, ammonia and antifoam; with morpholine sometimes substituted for the ammonia for purposes of comparison. Formulations are presented for 43 ammonia-based coatings made from candelilla wax, beeswax, carnauba wax, petroleum wax and polyethylene wax. Surface tension of the microemulsions was generally higher for formulations that contained petroleum wax and beeswax, and also for formulations without silicone antifoam. Candelilla wax formulations that contained some oleic acid were effective as moisture barriers for citrus fruit and tended not to fracture. Ammonia-based coatings had lower permeability to water vapor and oxygen than those made with morpholine.