Modified atmosphere packaging of strawberry under self-adhesive films.
Artes, F., Tudela, J. A., Marin, J. G., Villaescusa, R. and Artes, H. F.
ISHS Acta Horticulturae 559: 805-809.
2001
บทคัดย่อ
Strawberries 'Camarosa' forced under protected cultivation, were forced-air cooled and packaged in passive modified atmosphere packaging (MAP). Packages were stored for 4 days at 2 deg C, followed by 2 days at 10 deg C and by 2 days at 18 deg C. These conditions simulate reasonable periods of transport, distribution and retail sale respectively. Polymeric films of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and low density polyethylene (LDPE) for MAP technique and perforated polypropylene (PP) as control were used. At the end of shelf life, gas concentrations within unperforated packages were quite similar, 6% O2 and 8-9% CO2, and air for PP. After shelf-life weight losses under unperforated bags were 1.3% in PVC and 0.3 in LDPE, while in strawberries under PP were 3.8%. At the end of shelf life the highest fungal attacks (Botrytis spp.) were found in PP treatment (41.8%), whereas strawberries under PVC and LDPE showed less than 7%. In comparison to values at harvest, at the end of shelf life, strawberries wrapped with LDPE were the only ones that did not show differences in taste. At the end of shelf-life no significant differences in visual appearance and firmness between MAP treatments were detected. As conclusion LDPE was the best treatment for keeping strawberry quality and could be a good alternative to PVC, the only commercial treatment nowadays used in Spain for wrapping strawberries. As far as we know no other studies on use of LDPE in strawberries have been published.