The effect of three packaging materials (transparent biaxially oriented polypropylene laminate (BOPP); semitransparent BOPP; polyethylene-polyamide (PE-PA) laminate) in three packaging conditions (vacuum, N 2 , natural atmosphere) and in two temperature treatments (blanching in hot water; steam) on microwave-dried potato (Solanum tuberosum L.; Solanaceae) cubes was studied. After storage for 60 and 120 days, the amount of ascorbic acid (AA), shrinkage and rehydration were determined. Dried potato cubes packaged under N 2 atmosphere had the highest rehydration value (3.142 %). Since there is a direct relationship between the amount of water loss and shrinkage, samples packaged in PE-PA laminate packages under vacuum showed 4.947 % less shrinkage than transparent BOPP or semi-transparent BOPP due to low permeability of these packages. Potatoes stored for 120 days resulted in 7.89 % more shrinkage than those stored for 60 days. The least loss in AA occurred in PE-PA laminate packaging. The shelf-life of potato cubes can be increased and their quantitative and qualitative characteristics can be best preserved by package-drying in PE-PA laminate under vacuum conditions.

The aim of this study was to investigate the antibacterial effects of hydroalcoholic extracts of turmeric, ginger and clove on food pathogens including Salmonella Typhimurium, Shigella Dysenteriae and E. coli. To determine the antimicrobial effects, certain volumes of hydroalcoholic extracts of turmeric, ginger and clove were added to the blank disks, and after culturing the bacteria in Müller-Hinton Agar culture medium, the disks were placed on the culture medium and after the time required for the growth of the microorganism, the cultures were examined for the diameter of the growth inhibition zone. Among the aqueous extracts, the highest antibacterial effect was related to the aqueous extract of turmeric on Escherichia coli pathogen with an average diameter of the growth inhibition zone of 17 mm and the lowest antibacterial effect was related to the aqueous extract of turmeric versus Salmonella with an average diameter of the growth inhibition zone of 9.5 mm. Among ethanolic extracts, the highest antibacterial effect was related to turmeric and ginger against Escherichia coli and Shigella (average diameter of growth inhibition zone 15.1 mm) and the lowest effect was related to ethanolic extract of turmeric versus Salmonella (mean diameter of growth inhibition zone of 10 mm. Among methanolic extracts, the highest antibacterial effect was related to turmeric methanolic extract versus Shigella (mean diameter of growth inhibition zone of 16.8 mm) and the lowest effect was related to methanolic extract of clove versus Escherichia coli (mean diameter of growth inhibition zone of 10.5 mm). Among the studied pathogens, Salmonella showed the highest sensitivity to the hydroalcoholic extracts of the medicinal plants used, and the highest resistance was obtained for Shigella. Considering that the hydroalcoholic extracts of turmeric, ginger and clove have antimicrobial properties, they can be used as food preservatives against Salmonella, Escherichia and Shigella.