Application of Modified Atmosphere Packaging on Quality of Selected Vegetables: A Review - Application of Modified Atmosphere Packaging on Quality of Selected Vegetables - page 50

1.7.4.4 Pepper

Gonzalez-Aguilar et al. ( 2004 ) investigated the effect of VP (Saran fi lm used) and
passive MAP (PD-961 polyolefi n fi lms used) at 5 and 10 °C on quality and shelf life
of bell peppers. At 5 and 10 °C the ethanol and acetaldehyde contents were signifi -
cantly lower (0.04 and 0.18

L/g at 10 °C for ethanol
and acetaldehyde, respectively) on peppers under MAP compared to samples under
vacuum (0.41 and 0.78

ʼ L/g, at 5 °C and 0.36 and 0.5 ʼ

L/g for ethanol and acetaldehyde, respectively). The shelf
life at 5 and 10 °C was limited to 21 and 14 days, respectively due to microbiologi-
cal and quality parameters.
A combination of biodegradable fi lm (PLA based fi lm) and LDPE (perforated or
not) was used to provide MA conditions for storage of green peppers at 10 °C for 7
days. Hue angle and chroma did not display any considerable change in all treat-
ments. Aerobic bacteria populations did not increase signifi cantly (<1 log CFU/g) in
PLA, LDPE and p-LDPE fi lm packages and the same pattern was depicted in coli-
form growth (0.2, 2.3 and 0.9 log CFU/g increase for PLA, LDPE and p-LDPE,
respectively) (Koide and Shi 2007 ).
Green chili peppers were stored under passive MAP (LDPE, PVC and cast PP
fi lms were used) at 10 °C for 14 days. Ascorbic acid was higher in packaged peppers
compared to control samples (67.4, 69.3, 64.8 and 63.3 mg/100 g for LDPE, CPP,
PVC and control samples, respectively). The equilibrium atmospheres in LDPE and
cast PP packages were very close to the optimal gas concentrations (3 % O 2 and 5 %
CO 2 ) and so they had a benefi cial role in quality maintenance (Lee et al. 1994 ).
Sliced bell peppers were washed once, twice or three sequential times in fresh
distilled water and stored under MAP (polyethylene fi lm used) at 7 °C for 10 days.
Packages with unwashed samples always had higher CO 2 content. Washed slices
were signifi cantly fi rmer than unwashed and this effect improved incrementally
with the number of washes (284, 287, 288 and 293 g/force for unwashed, 1, 2 and 3
washes, respectively) (Toivonen and Stan 2004 ).
Wall and Berghage ( 1996 ) used pressed cardboard trays overwrapped with
VF-71 PE and LDPE bags for MA storage of green chile peppers at 8 or 24 °C. Weight
loss at 8 °C was 18 %, 6 % and 0.3 % for control, PE and LDPE storage, respectively
after 6 weeks while at 24 °C the loss was 68 %, 37 % and 0.6 % for control, PE and
LDPE storage, respectively after 4 weeks. The postharvest disease ratings for pep-
pers stored in trays were 1.0 and 1.6 after 2 and 4 weeks at 24 °C respectively,
whereas the ratings for peppers in bags were 1.4 and 1.6 for the same time periods.

ʼ

1.7.4.5 Pumpkin

Cut pieces of pumpkin were dip treated [in citric acid (0.2 %) and potassium metabi-
sulfi te (0.1 %) for 3 min (treat. 1), soluble starch (0.2 %) extrapure plus calcium
chloride (0.1 %) for 3 min (treat. 2) and mannose (0.1 %), and vacuumized for 5 min
(treat 3)] and stored in LDPE or PP bags, sealed both with and without vacuum and