A master packaging system for preserving strawberries in the fresh produce supply chain

作者：Jeong Mijin; An Duck Soon; Lee Seung Ju; Lee Doug Sun^*

来源：Journal of Food Agriculture and Environment, 2011, 9(3-4): 114-117.

• Master packaging
• retail display package
• package atmosphere
• microperforation
• temperature change

A master packaging system consisting of inner individual fruit packages and an outer liner bag of low density polyethylene (LDPE) film in a paperboard box was designed for strawberries to keep a beneficial modified atmosphere (MA) around the fruits throughout the fresh produce supply chain, which consists of chilled storage and subsequent retail display at higher temperature. Master packaging systems were constructed to contain 6 individual polypropylene film (30 mu m thickness) packages of 300 g fruits inside a 50 mu m thick LDPE film bag. Different numbers of 59 mu m diameter microperforations were tested on the individual packages to determine which could provide best the desired package atmosphere around the fruits during cold storage and subsequent retail display at higher temperature. Perforated control packages were also prepared and subjected to the same temperature conditions. Packages with 5 or 7 microperforations maintained internal atmospheres of 2-7% O(2) and 9-17% CO(2) during storage at 0 degrees C storage and subsequent simulated display at 10 degrees C, which is close to 3-10% O(2) and 15-20% CO(2), the optimal MA for strawberry preservation. However, packages with 3 perforations eventually resulted in an anaerobic atmosphere during storage at 0 degrees C and subsequent display at 10 degrees C, which was harmful to fruit quality. Compared to the control and 3-microperforation packages, those with 5 or 7 microperforations provided higher quality preservation, as measured by sound fruit number and ascorbic acid content during chilled storage and/or simulated retail display.

• 出版日期2011-10