Development and application of multicomponent edible coatings and films: a review.

Combining the advantages of polysaccharides, proteins and/or lipids offers multicomponent edible films and coatings good mass transfer barrier properties. Multicomponent edible films and coatings could be beneficial to the food industry by leading to innovative applications. The barrier properties of these systems strongly depend upon their structure and chemistry, the interaction between different film components as well as surrounding environment conditions.

Microbial Evaluation of Vegetable Ingredients in Salad Bars .

Vegetable salad ingredients (lettuce, tomatoes, broccoli, and cauliflower) purchased from three grocery-store deli operations were analyzed for total plate count, coliforms, yeasts, and molds. The temperature of the vegetable ingredients was measured at the time of purchase and the pH was measured on all samples within one-half hour after purchase. In the second phase, fresh broccoli was processed into florets, inoculated with E.