Modified atmosphere packaging for maintaining freshness of sweet cherry [Prunus avium] fruit
2008
Ishikawa, Y.(National Food Research Inst., Tsukuba, Ibaraki (Japan)) | Kitazawa, H. | Kuwana, Y. | Takasago, K.
A method was proposed to determine the optimum packaging conditions for modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) of sweet cherry fruit. This fruit has an optimum gas composition for maintaining quality, however, we have yet to determine this optimum gas composition. Sweet cherry fruit respiration rates were measured in chambers in which different O2 concentrations were maintained. The gas permeability of plastic films were measured. Packaging conditions for producing different gas environments are a combination of package surface area and gas permeability, and under optimum conditions, the diffusion rates of oxygen and carbon dioxide into the package are equal to the respiration rate. Experimental O2 concentration results for sweet cherry fruit packaged in plastic films were in good agreement with the predicted in-package O2 concentrations. It was not necessary to experiment by trial and error to determine the optimum packaging conditions. Changes in in-package gas composition, sugar content, acidity, and appearance were determined for sweet cherry fruit storage at 20degC. When 100g of sweet cherry fruit was packaged in low-density polyethylene film (thickness : 18 and 36microm, size : 10 x 10cm), O2 concentrations within the pouch were equilibrated at 1-2% and 7-9% and these were found to be optimum for maintenance of axis wilting.
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