Blueberries as a non-dairy alternative in functional foods

The consumption of functional foods and particularly those with probiotics has increased in recent years. Most of the available products are dairy-based, while the development of plant-based probiotic foods is very scarce. Minimally processed fruits with added probiotics are an innovative alternative to meet the needs of vegan or lactose intolerant consumers. In particular, the incorporation of probiotics and prebiotic compounds in edible coatings of fresh-cut fruits is a strategy to enhance nutritional intake and beneficial health effects. The aim of the study was to analyse the application of alginate coatings enriched with prebiotic compounds, carrying the probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus for the formulation of ready-to-eat blueberries. The results indicated that the addition of prebiotics improved the viability of L. rhamnosus in the functional food, whose shelf life was 14 d. L. rhamnosus incorporated into the fruits had a significant antagonistic effect by reducing the counts of an indicator pathogen (Listeria innocua) inoculated.