Effects of Argon-Based and Nitrogen-Based Modified Atmosphere Packaging Technology on the Quality of Pomegranate (Punica granatum L. cv. Wonderful) Arils

Abstract

Ready-to-eat pomegranate arils are considered a “functional food” for their health benefits and have desirable sensory characteristics, which have caused an increasing interest by the consumers for this product. The preparation process of ready-to-eat fruit products can cause severe injuries and worsen their quality and shelf life significantly. Modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) has been used broadly in the last years to maintain the quality of processed fruits and showed optimal results, in spite of the possible problems caused by the depletion of O2 and corresponding accumulation of CO2 in the package. This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of different MAP treatments, based on nitrogen or alternatively on a noble gas, argon, in combination with refrigerated storage (0, 4, 8, 12, and 16 days at 4 ± 1 °C and 90 ± 5% RH) on the qualitative parameters of pomegranate arils with the aim to prolong their post-harvest life maintaining the original quality. The argon-based MAP treatment (MAPAr) was the one that provided the best results, assuring a limited loss of weight and juice content. The use of noble gas allowed to maintain a high sugar/acid ratio until 16 days from packaging. Sensory analysis on all MAP treated arils and, on the juice, obtained from them were carried out, and judges showed a preference for MAPAr treated arils and juice until day 12 from packaging.

Effects of Tray-Drying on the Physicochemical, Microbiological, Proximate, and Sensory Properties of White- and Red-Fleshed Loquat (Eriobotrya Japonica Lindl.) Fruit

“…Sensory evaluation was performed by a team of 30 judges (sixteen men and fourteen women aged between 20 and 60 years) with a good background and knowledge of the details of this kind of food evaluation [39], following the guidelines of UNI 10957:2003 legislation [40]. During the preliminary meetings, 14 qualitative descriptors were chosen for the definition of the sensory profile, generated based on citation frequency (>60%) and listed below: visual appearance (VA); color (CL); browning (BR); loquat odor (OL); honey odor (OH); off-odor (OO); crispness (FF); softness (GM); juiciness (JUI); loquat flavor (FL); caramel flavor (FC); sweetness (SW); acidity (AC); and sourness (SO).…”

“…Therefore, according to these data, the best treatment seems to have been MAP N 2 , probably due to the N 2 inside the bags. In fact, according to different studies [39,49,50], the N 2 alone or in combination with other gases seems to improve the shelf-life of the fruit by influencing water vapor transmission. In addition, previous studies [5] report consumer preferences towards larger fruits, although with unaltered organoleptic characteristics.…”

Reduction of Pericarp Browning and Microbial Spoilage on Litchi Fruits in Modified Atmosphere Packaging

“…Furthermore, one of the global challenges includes the implementation of the use of natural alternatives to synthetic treatments that are simple to apply and can be considered safe for the global litchi industry [22][23][24]. Among the possible means to be used, there is dipping in citric and ascorbic acids only or in combination with other agents, such as chitosan [25] and oxalic acid [26], or the use of a controlled (CA) or modified atmosphere (MAP) [27,28] to improve the shelf life of products [22,[29][30][31][32][33]. As for the MAP technique, it proves to be decisive in reducing the respiration rate of the fruits and thus their degradation and inhibits the proliferation of aerobic bacteria [32][33][34][35], thanks to the suitable combination of food gases, such as nitrogen (N 2 ), oxygen (O 2 ) and carbon dioxide (CO 2 ).…”

Effect of Chemical Treatment and Wrapping Materials on Physico-Chemical Properties and Storage Life of Litchi Fruits (Litchi chinensis Sonn.) Cv. Shahi

“…Several approaches like pre-cooling, treating or coating of fruit with different chemicals and packaging materials have been tried to extend the shelf-life of litchi fruit [7], [8], [9]. Along with these approaches modified atmosphere packaging can be considered effective in managing pericarp browning, microbial spoilage and preserving the quality of product [10], [11], [12]. "Coatings on litchi create a partial barrier to the movement of moisture on the surface of fresh fruit, which minimizes moisture loss during postharvest storage.…”