Effect of formaldehyde on some post-harvest qualities and shelf-life of selected fruits and vegetables

Syeeda Shiraj Um Monira,Raiya Adiba Antora,Mohammad Gulzarul Aziz,Md Pavel Hossain

doi:10.3329/jbau.v16i1.36496

Abstract

In Bangladesh, a lot of fruits and vegetables have been accused of having prolonged shelf-life by formaldehyde adulteration. So, an evaluation of the effect of formaldehyde was carried out by treating mango, litchi and oyster mushroom with different concentrations of formaldehyde and assessing their quality parameters. The three samples were dipped in 0%,1%, 5% and 10%formaldehyde solutions for 15 minutes and packed in a modified atmosphere package for observation. Changes in color, texture and weight loss were observed during storage at every alternate day. No significant increase in post-harvest quality and shelf-life was observed for mango and litchi treated with formaldehyde compared to control. Treated mushroom attained elastic texture and remained in this state up to the end of storage, whereas the control spoiled days after storage. Although formaldehyde-treated mushroom showed extended shelf-life, they lost their commercial freshness. The formaldehyde solutions did not have any significant effect on weight loss. So, formaldehyde is not a useful preservative to improve the post-harvest quality and shelf-life of fresh fruits and vegetables.J. Bangladesh Agril. Univ. 16(1): 151-157, April 2018

Highlights

Contamination and adulteration in foods have become an extreme situation in Bangladesh in the recent years
No significant advantages were observed in formaldehyde-treated samples of litchi and mango over control with respect to shelf-life and quality during storage
Shelf-life increased with increasing formaldehyde concentration

Summary

Introduction

Contamination and adulteration in foods have become an extreme situation in Bangladesh in the recent years. Various toxic chemicals and colorants are reported to use in foods to increase their stability, such as DDT (Dichloro Diphenyl Trichloroethane) in dried fish, textile colorants as a food coloring agent, urea fertilizer in puffed rice, which can cause cancer, reproductive problems, indigestions, allergies and other severe physical illness (Bhuiyan et al, 2008; Rahman & Alam, 1997; Khan, 2012a; Munim, 2011, Radomski, 1974; Khan 2012b). In Bangladesh and South-East Asian countries, there are reports that formalin, which is the 37-50% of an aqueous solution of formaldehyde (Kawamata & Kodera, 2004), is added to foods to increase its storage stability (Uddin et al, 2011). It is recently classified as carcinogenic to humans (IARC, 2004)

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