Green apple baked snacks functionalized with edible coatings of methylcellulose containing Lactobacillus plantarum

•Apple snacks were coated with methylcellulose film containing Lactobacillus plantarum.•Functionalized snacks with acceptable sensory properties were developed.•The presence of isomalt allowed a better stability throughout the baking process.•Bacterial viability was sufficiently high to obtain the benefits of probiotic food. The aim of the present work was to develop a healthy snack as a vehicle of probiotic bacteria. Apple snacks were coated with methylcellulose films containing fructooligosaccharides and Lactobacillus plantarum CIDCA 83114. Dehydration of the snacks at 60 °C for 50 min allowed obtaining a product with water content, crispness and visual aspect similar to those before applying the film-forming solution, without major detrimental effects for microorganisms. Sensory attributes of coated snacks were evaluated by an experienced sensory panel, receiving good scores in taste (6.5 ± 0.6), color (7.7 ± 0.4), texture (7.2 ± 0.4) and overall acceptability (7.2 ± 0.3). Storage of the snacks at 20 °C and 60% RH caused only a mild decrease in the bacterial cultivability after 90 days (1.4 log CFU/g), and a significant number of bacteria were still alive after the simulated gastric (5.5 × 106 ± 0.7 × 106 CFU/g) and intestinal (1.0 × 106 ± 0.4 × 106 CFU/g) digestions of the stored samples. The force–deformation curves showed a typical pattern of brittle materials up to 90 days of storage. The Tg followed a similar trend, in accordance with the constant moisture content. An organoleptically attractive food product was obtained which after 90 days of storage presented a high load of cultivable lactobacilli (2.0 × 108 ± 0.7 × 108 CFU/g). This concentration is well above the minimum considered necessary (106–107 CFU/g) to obtain the benefits of probiotic consumption.