Minimal processing of pomegranate cv. Espanola: effect of three package material.
Sepulveda, E., Saenz, C., Berger, H., Galletti, L., Valladares, C. and Botti, C.
ISHS Acta Horticulturae 553: 711-712.
2001
บทคัดย่อ
The effect of 3 types of semipermeable packaging on the shelf life of minimally processed pomegranate (cv. Espanola) arils were studied. Packages tested were: EVA bags (BB4), rigid polystyrene vessels (PS) and perforated polyethylene bags (PE; the control). The sanitizing and antioxidant agents used were sodium hypochlorite (200 ppm), ascorbic acid (5%) and citric acid (5%). The initial characteristics of the arils were: pH 3.7, 12.0 soluble solids, 0.15% acidity and no browning. Microbiological analysis showed a low microbial count (<10 cfu/g) of aerobic mesophiles and, after washing with chlorinated water and antioxidant treatment, the moulds and yeast count decreased from 50 to 10 cfu/g. During storage in BB4 bags, an increase in CO2 was observed on day 7, and reached near 46% on day 14, when O2 was less than 1%. In PE bags and PS vessels, the O2 level was close to 21%, while the concentration of CO2 was approximately 0.2%. Weight loss was close to 0.2% in BB4 bags and 0.7% in the other packages. The browning observed on day 7 remained constant in BB4, whereas in PS and PE it increased after 14 days. Aerobic mesophiles and mould count was less than 10 cfu/g in BB4, while in PS vessels and PE bags, the aerobic mesophile count was also low, but the mould and yeast count increased markedly. BB4 bags showed the best ability to maintain the physical, chemical and microbiological characteristics of minimally processed pomegranate arils, but the sensory characteristics decreased from 7 to 14 days of storage.