Antioxidant edible film based on a carrot pectin‐enriched fraction as an active packaging of a vegan cashew ripened cheese

Summary An orange‐coloured carrot pectin‐enriched fraction (CPEF), with 50% uronic acids (42%‐methylated), carrying lipophilic carotenoids and α‐tocopherol, developed homogeneous calcium‐crosslinked films at 0%, 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% CPEF proportions regarding a commercial pectin. CPEF gave higher relative elongation at break (65% for 50% CPEF film) when compared to 0% CPEF film (26% elongation). FTIR spectra showed a decreased intensity in the C = O group of the esterified carboxylate band as the CPEF content increased. CPEF maintained the orange colour (a* ≈ +37) and partly the carotenes (k ≈ 8.62 × 10−3 d−1) in films, even under 25 °C light storage. Also, CPEF gave water resistance to dissolution (100% CPEF film: 50% solubility), maintaining film integrity after 24 h soaking. Surface wettability decreased (40° contact angle) when CPEF proportion increased. These characteristics made the 100% CPEF film an efficient antioxidant interface that preserved a vegan cashew ripened cheese of high water activity (0.952) for 60 days at 7 °C, as determined through the assay of thiobarbituric acid‐reactive substances (TBARS). The procedure for development of calcium‐crosslinked films at 0, 25, 50, 75, and 100% carrot pectin (CPEF) proportions regarding a commercial pectin, the color and carotenoid stability results obtained from stored films, and the performance of 0% and 100% CPEF films for antioxidant preservation (TBARS) of a vegan cashew ripened cheese are briefly shown.