Effect of Initial Gas Flushing or Vacuum Packaging on the Ripening Dynamics and Preference forKimchi, a Korean Fermented Vegetable

Abstract

The effects of vacuum or modified atmosphere packaging conditions on the ripening dynamics of kimchi and sensory preference were investigated to determine the potential of initial atmospheric flushing as a method for improving quality at consumption. In all the packaging treatments (control of air, vacuumizing, CO2 flushing and N2 flushing), the partial pressures of O2 and N2 remained at nearly constant initial levels; therefore, the increases of package pressures were dominantly caused by the increases in the CO2 partial pressures as a result of kimchi fermentation. The CO2 production from kimchi was greater in the vacuumed and CO2-flushed packages. The initial vacuumed treatment helped to maintain relatively lower pressure during extended storage, and the pressure of the CO2-flushed package could have been reduced as a result of the high solubility of CO2 in the aqueous product. Initial CO2 flushing also provided the packaged product with a pleasant cool flavour at the properly ripened state.