Controlling kimchi fermentation and juice overflow using potato starch-maltodextrin nanoparticles

The traditional glutinous rice (GR) paste used in kimchi production accelerates the growth of lactic acid bacteria (LAB), which exacerbates package volume expansion and kimchi juice leakage. This study used potato starch (PS), which has high water-holding capacity, and maltodextrin (MD), which lowers viscosity, in the production of PS-MD nanoparticle (PMN) to replace GR, control kimchi fermentation and prevent kimchi juice leakage. In LAB fermentation, O₂ reduction and CO₂ generation in the headspace were more inhibited with the use of PS than with GR. Additionally, the decrease in pH and the increase in acidity were 0.75 and 0.03 lower, respectively, with PS than with GR. MD was added to improve the physicochemical properties of PS. PMN preparation was optimized using a mixing ratio of PS-to-MD of 1:1. The optimal PMN was produced using high-pressure homogenization, in which PMN had a uniform particle size of 268.2 nm and a polydispersity index of 0.17. The viscosity was the lowest at 965.3 and 1677.66 cp at 4 and 25 °C, respectively. In conclusion, PMN prevented LAB fermentation, package volume expansion, and kimchi juice leakage during fermentation, suggesting that fabricated PMN could improve the quality and stability of kimchi during long-distance export and prolonged storage.