غلامرضا عبدی

Dates are nutritionally rich and commercially important. Various solutions have been implemented to increase the shelf life of the product, allowing it to be available to consumers for a longer period. This study aims to use a chitosan-gelatin edible coating containing natural orange peel extract on stored dates at 4 and 25 C for 90 days. Physical and chemical tests (weight loss, pH, acidity, moisture, reducing sugars, soluble solids, and texture) and sensory evaluations were conducted to assess the treatments over the storage period. The lowest weight loss occurred in the sample treated with the chitosan- gelatin coating containing orange peel extract on day 90 at both temperatures. Results indicated that with increased storage time and temperature, pH and moisture decreased while acidity, soluble solids, reducing sugars, and texture increased significantly. Additionally, a decrease in sensory attributes was observed with increased storage time and temperature, with samples treated with chitosan-gelatin coating containing 4 and 10 mg/ml orange peel extract showing the highest preference in sensory properties for the dates. Based on the findings, the chitosan-gelatin edible coating containing orange peel extract can be introduced as the best formulation for increasing the shelf life of dates for up to 90 days.