Processing Effects on Moisture-Induced Transitions in Jellyfish Gelatin Powders and Predictive Packaging Simulations

Amorphous jellyfish gelatin powders readily absorb moisture during storage, leading to caking, agglomeration, and reduced functionality. This study evaluated the effects of drying method, activated carbon (AC) treatment, simulated packaging configuration, and simulated storage conditions on the critical relative humidity (RHc) and physicochemical stability of jellyfish gelatin powders. Jellyfish gelatin powders were produced using a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement consisting of two drying methods, including spray drying (SD) and freeze-drying (FD) and two AC treatments (with and without AC). FD powders exhibited higher moisture content, water activity, and particle size, whereas SD powders showed greater surface area. Experimentally determined RHc values differed among treatments; notably, AC treatment increased the RHc of SD powder from 0.43 to 0.47, while decreasing the RHc of FD powder from 0.57 to 0.48. RHc was interpreted as a moisture-sensitivity transition indicator rather than as a direct measure of shelf life. Packaging simulations predicted longer times to the specified physical-stability threshold for the evaluated aluminized polypropylene (APP) pouch configurations than for the evaluated polyethylene terephthalate (PET) container or stick-pack configurations. These predictions were not validated by long-term storage experiments. Overall, processing influenced moisture-induced transitions in jellyfish gelatin powders, and experimentally determined sorption properties can support packaging design and storage-stability assessment.