Abstract
Active packaging is one of the emerging technologies for maintaining the safety and quality of fresh produce. This work assessed the effectiveness of an active and eco-friendly poly (3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) based film loaded with 5 wt% grapeseed oil (GS) and 0.7 wt% MgO nanoparticles (MgO NPs) prepared via sonication-assisted solution casting route for storage and handling of the cherry tomatoes. The shelf-life study of cherry tomatoes in active (PHB/5GS/0.7MgO) packaging was carried out for 23 days in ambient room conditions, and results are compared with the storage of cherry tomatoes without packaging (control), in low-density polyethylene (LDPE) packaging, and in PHB packaging. Various parameters, viz. Visual appearance, weight loss, firmness, total soluble solids (TSS), titratable acidity (TA), ripening index, pH, color, and organoleptic factors, were evaluated every 3 days for cherry tomatoes in various storage groups. The results from the shelf-life study clearly showed that the cherry tomatoes stored in PHB/5GS/0.7MgO packaging experienced better preservation of quality than those in other storage groups, with no signs of surface wrinkling, shrinkage, microbial growth, or juice leakage till day 21 of their storage. This was further evidenced by minimal weight loss (4.45 ± 0.06% on day 21), minimal change in titratable acidity (0.74 ± 0.01% on day 0–0.67 ± 0.01% on day 21), and better retention of firmness (19.89 ± 0.12 N on day 0–15.77 ± 0.37 N on day 21), pH, color, and organoleptic attributes for the cherry tomatoes stored in this packaging group. Furthermore, it was found that the migration of MgO NPs from the nanocomposite packaging to cherry tomatoes was negligible. These findings suggest that the PHB/5GS/0.7MgO nanocomposite film is a promising choice for the storage of cherry tomatoes.
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