Effect of temperature changes during transportation on muesli quality

Abstract

Muesli is often packed in pre-made stand-up pouches and flowpacks. There are different storage and packaging solutions based on the composition of the storage atmosphere. Modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) extends shelf-life of product as it affects biochemical, enzymatic and microbiological changes. Nevertheless, during food product transportation around 9% of complaints are related to wet cargo. It is the second most common problem in freight transportation and causes greatest losses during logistics. A sudden drop in temperature during transportation can cause condensation, increasing moisture migration in the product, reducing its quality and promoting deterioration. The aim of this study was to determine optimal muesli packaging solutions to eliminate the possibility of product quality deterioration due to changes in temperature during muesli transportation. Muesli samples were packed in three different types of packaging-2-layer (PET/PE) and 3-layer (PAP/AL/PE) stand-up pouches, and biodegradable PLA pouches in air ambience and MAP environment. Samples were stored at ambient temperature (20±1 °C) for 14 days. After two-week ambient storage, samples were stored at-5±1 °C, 0±1 °C and 30±1 °C temperature for 5 days, followed by storage at ambient temperature for 2 days. The results of water activity, moisture content, pH value, texture and microbiological parameters showed no significant changes in muesli quality.