Passive modified atmosphere affects the quality of minimally processed escarole

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the quality changes of the minimally processed escarole under passive modified atmosphere, packaged in different flexible plastic packages, which included polyvinyl chloride (PVC) stretch film, low-density polyethylene (LDPE) bag, polypropylene (PP) bag, and bi-oriented polypropylene (BOPP) bag, during storage for 20 days at 0°C and 90%–95% RH. The atmosphere of 16% O2and 3% CO2 formed in the PVC overwrap package provided the lowest browning index and the best conservation of ascorbic acid, chlorophyll, and carotenoids. During the experiment, no differences in phenolic compounds and polyphenol oxidase activity among the treatments were observed, while the activity of peroxidase showed peaks in different analysis days. Weight loss of all samples did not exceeded 1%. The minimally processed escarole showed sensitivity to high CO2 concentrations. Thus, a simple PVC stretch film provided the best visual and nutritional preservation of the minimally processed escarole. Practical applications Escarole is one of the most consumed leafy vegetable as a minimally processed product, however, there is no information about its quality changes associated with the package. This produce is widely commercialized in the same package of other leafy vegetables. This research has focused on application of passive modified atmosphere technology for quality preservation of escarole during storage, in order to indicate the most adequate package for its quality and nutritional conservation. The results implied that the quality of minimally processed escarole is better-maintained using PVC stretch film, which is quite different from the usual plastic bags used for minimally processed leafy vegetables. This information is quite interesting at processer and market levels in order to standardize the packaging of this product and prolong its visual and nutritional quality.