Abstract

Every food industry needs that its product should be of high perceptible quality and healthy. Freshly cut babycorn is a perishable commodity and has high respiration rate, so it cannot be stored for longer duration and cannot be transported to distant place under ambient conditions. Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP) is intended to create an appropriate gaseous atmosphere in film packages to enhance shelf life and to conserve the quality of the packaged produce. The present study was proposed to assess respiratory dynamics and also evaluate the effect of storage on quality of minimally processed babycorn. Respiration parameters were determined using closed system technique at the temperature viz 5°C, 12.5°C, 20°C and 75% relative humidity. Overall, most suitable packaging and storage conditions for extending the shelf life of babycorn were found to be packaging in 25 micron LDPE packages with 2 perforations followed by storage at 12.5°C.

Highlights

  • It is well-known that minimally processed fruits and vegetables are generally more perishable than the original raw materials [1]

  • Different theoretical concepts and techniques have been applied by many researchers for minimal processing and modified atmosphere packaging of agricultural produce

  • Respiration rate: The rates of respiration for the minimally processed babycorn were determined at three temperatures (5°C, 12.5°C and 20°C), using closed system technique

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Summary

Introduction

It is well-known that minimally processed fruits and vegetables are generally more perishable than the original raw materials [1]. Fruits and vegetables are living, respiring and perishable products with active metabolism even after harvest from the parent plant. Punjab which once a hub of wheat and paddy only is making a name for itself for its babycorn crop that it exports to the UK and many more European countries. A farmer can produce up to 55 quintals of babycorn per acre. It is a time-bound crop and needs harvesting at the perfect timing. The second system uses high plant populations at a spacing of 45 cm×20 cm with 2 plants per hill, having a population density of 175,000 plants ha-1, where all ears are harvested for babycorn. The standard plant populations produce yields of about 46.5 q unhusked ears (4.65 q husked ears) per ha, while the high populations produce yields of about 93-106 q unhusked ears (9.3-10.60 q of husked ears) per ha [3]

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