Polyethylene Terephthalate Trays Research Articles

Untargeted screening of NIAS and cyclic oligomers migrating from virgin and recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET) food trays

Polyethylene terephthalate is considered one of the most used and approved recycled plastic polymer as food contact materials (FCM); however, the fundamental details arising from the recycled content of PET trays in relation to processing conditions or extent of recycling are not well understood. In the present work, the presence and migration of different series of PET cyclic oligomers from industrially recycled trays were investigated using official food simulant D1 at 40 °C for 10 days. The trays were produced in two different facilities, using different extrusion processing technology, namely single and twin-screw extruder. Tested food packaging trays were produced from different ratios of virgin (vPET) and recycled PET (rPET), varying from 0% up to 100% w/w content. Analysis of the trays using MALDI-TOF-MS revealed a decrease in the molecular weight distribution (Mw) in rPET compared to virgin PET plastic. Untargeted screening with UHPLC-QTOF-MS, revealed the presence and migration of several intentionally added substances (IAS) as well as non-intentionally added substances (NIAS). The results demonstrated differences of the cyclic oligomers migration into the selected food simulant, depending on the rPET/vPET ratios as well as among the applied extrusion technology applied. Following multivariate analysis, marker compounds found to be benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP), butyl lactate, dodecenamide, 2-methyl-1,3-dioxolane, PET 2nd series cyclic dimer as well as PET 1st series cyclic dimer can be considered as marker compounds.

Does PET trays sorting affect the sustainability of plastic waste? An LCA and cost-revenue approach

Currently, the management of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) trays waste is still challenging since this packaging affects the consolidate recycling of PET bottles. It is important to separate PET trays from the PET bottle waste stream to avoid its contamination during recycling process and to recover a higher amount of PET. Hence, the present study aims to evaluate the environmental (by means of Life Cycle Assessment, LCA) and economic sustainability of sorting PET trays from the plastic waste streams selected by a Material Recovery Facility (MRF). For this scope, the case of a MRF in Molfetta (Southern Italy) was chosen as reference, and different scenarios have been evaluated by assuming different schemes of manual and/or automated PET trays sorting. The alternative scenarios did not achieve very pronounced environmental benefits over the reference case. Upgraded scenarios resulted in overall environmental impacts approx. 10 % lower as compared to the current scenario, with the exception of the climate and ozone depletion categories where differences in impacts were much higher. From an economic point of view, the upgraded scenarios achieved slightly lower costs (<2 %) than the current one. Electricity or labour costs were necessary in upgraded scenarios, but in this way fines for PET trays contamination in PET streams for recycling were avoided. Implementing any of the technology upgrade scenarios is then environmentally and economically viable, when the PET sorting scheme is performed in appropriate output streams through optical sorting.

Development and Evaluation of Sorghum and Little Millet Based Ladoo

Millets are called Nutri-cereals which are nutritionally superior when compared to that of staple cereals like rice and wheat and have numerous health benefits in improving the overall health of consumers. In spite of their multiple health benefits, millets are only consumed by people who are of low income group. The present study was done to develop and analyse the nutritional value, physiochemical properties and shelf life studies of millet ladoo as readymade snack which is developed through standardization process by blending the major millet i.e Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) and minor millet i.e. Little millet (Panicum sumatrense), Tamarind kernel powder (Tamarindus indica), Cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum), Bengal gram flour (chick pea) ghee and palm jaggery powder. Millet ladoo that was highly accepted by thirty semi-trained panel members through nine point hedonic scale by formulating sorghum, little millet and other ingredients showed total carbohydrates, protein, fat and fibre about 55.68, 7.54, 20.2 and 2.88% respectively. The sensory evaluation of the acceptable ladoo revealed that the texture, appearance, color, aroma, taste and all quality parameters were in acceptable range during storage. The product shelf life was found to be 30 days with addition of preservative i.e. food grade potassium sorbate followed by packaging of millet ladoo by using polyethylene terephthalate tray as primary packaging material and multilayer plastic laminate pouch as a secondary packaging material. The shelf life of millet ladoo was 15 days without addition of preservative when packed in polyethylene terphthalate tray that was placed in multilayer plastic laminate pouch at room temperature. The sensory parameters of millet ladoo packed in polyethylene terphthalate tray without multilayer plastic laminate pouch was not acceptable for further studies. The work done was an attempt to develop value added products of major and minor millets and increase consumption of millet products for better nutrition of consumers.

Characterization and evaluation of the influence of an alginate, cocoa and a bilayer alginate-cocoa coating on the quality of fresh-cut oranges during storage.

Fresh-cut products are ready-to-use goods which retain the fresh characteristics of raw produce. However, numerous factors restrict the quality and shelf-life of fresh-cut products. One of the most promising, convenient and safe technologies to preserve the quality and to prolong the shelf-life of fresh fruits and vegetables is the application of edible coatings. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of different coatings (alginate-based, cocoa-based and a combination of them) on physicochemical, microbiological and sensory characteristics of fresh-cut oranges during storage. Preliminary rheological analyses were performed on coatings in order to characterize them. The three different coated orange samples were packaged in polyethylene terephthalate trays under atmospheric conditions and stored for 9 days at 6°C. During storage, all samples were analysed for water activity, moisture, colour, texture, microbiological analyses and sensory quality. Orange samples coated with sodium alginate maintained the highest quality characteristics in terms of texture and microbiological properties, but not from a sensory point of view. Samples coated only with cocoa presented very high sensory attributes, but the lowest microbiological and textural quality. Samples covered in both alginate and cocoa demonstrated the best quality parameters throughout the whole storage period, including high sensory characteristics and the lowest microbiological cell loads (yeast and mesophilic aerobic bacteria under the threshold limit of 6.0 log cfu g-1 ). The bilayer coating represented the best solution in order to develop new ready to-eat-fresh oranges with both high textural and sensory attributes and prolonged shelf-life. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.

Configuration of biodegradable equilibrium modified atmosphere packages, including a moisture absorber for fresh cape gooseberry (Physalis peruviana L.) fruits

Different equilibrium modified atmosphere packaging systems (EMAP) were evaluated for cape gooseberry fruits, including a moisture adsorber. Three packages were used: cellulose trays with a cellulose film, polylactic acid (PLA) trays and film, and polyethylene terephthalate trays (PET) with a film of polypropylene (PP). The packages’ configuration, perforations, and amount of moisture adsorber were predefined by modeling the gas transfer in the packaging system. The packaged fruits were stored at 6 °C and 75 % RH for 6 weeks. The fruits in the PLA trays without sachets had the maximum shelf life of 42 days, while the fruits in celulose with sachets had a shelf life of 40 days compared to 35 days with the PET/PP trays and 21 days of the control fruits. With similar equilibrium gas levels between the EMAP packages, the higher permeability to water vapor of PLA prevented the formation of condensation with lower dehydration compared to the celulose packages with sachets.

“Plastic waste free” – A new circular model for the management of plastic packaging in food value chain

Plastic packaging has a fundamental role in preserve quality and safety of food, increasing its shelf-life and reducing food waste. However, its current linear management is not sustainable and an urgent transition to an effective circular economy is needed, according to newest EU action plan for the Circular Economy (COM/2020/98 final). Despite plastic packaging has unrivalled technical features for food applications and low cost, the great number of polymer types and the various applications in several sectors make plastic recycling very difficult. The efforts to collect, sort and treat plastic from household waste are not justified (economically and technically) by the recycled plastics, that often are used for down-cycling applications. Among plastic materials, PET (polyethylene terephthalate) has become the most promising packaging resource for food products due to its excellent features, such as high clarity and good barrier properties towards moisture and oxygen, and also for its high potential for reuse after recycling process also for food contact applications. PET trays are widespread in food packaging applications, as they preserve and keep food fresh longer. They contain almost 50% rPET, but they are typically separated from the recycling flow since it is difficult to use them for a third life. The consequence is a great loss of PET tray value after food consumption phase. With the aim to recover the value of PET trays, a new model for the management of plastic packaging in food supply chain, based on the concepts of circular economy, has been designed and implemented in a pilot project in Italy (“Plastic Waste Free”). This paper describes the three pillars of the new model and how they have been implemented in practice: (i) the re-thinking of trays to promote recycling process; (ii) the improvement in collection, sort and recycling of PET trays and (iii) the enlarging of applications for rPET with any down grade. In particular, an integrated value chain, that comprises packaging manufacturer, food brand owners, retailer, consumers and recycler, was established to re-design plastic packaging, following a life-cycle thinking approach. This novel model can really contribute to the achievement of the target for plastic recycling (55%), set by the European Strategy for plastics in 2030.

Circular economy for sustainable packaging

Circular economy for sustainable packaging

Camu-camu harvested with reddish-green peel preserves its physicochemical characteristics and antioxidant compounds during cold storage

Abstract Camu-camu (Myrciaria dubia), a fruit native to the Brazilian Amazon, is considered a source of antioxidant compounds. Due to its high perishability, postharvest studies aimed at increasing its shelf life are required. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of harvesting time on the conservation of the physicochemical characteristics and antioxidant compounds of camu-camu during cold storage. The fruits, harvested at different ripening stages (red and reddish-green peel), were stored in polyethylene terephthalate trays at 15 °C and 90% relative humidity. The following analyses were carried out on days 1, 2, 5, 7, 9 and 13 after harvest: luminosity, hue angle and chromaticity, pH, soluble solids content, titratable acidity, SS/TA, ascorbic acid content, total phenolic content, total anthocyanin content and free-radical-scavenging activity by the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazil method. The data were submitted to a multivariate analysis. The fruits harvested at different ripening stages showed different postharvest characteristics, highlighting the parameters of colour, flavour and antioxidants. The reddish-green fruits, despite their low concentration of anthocyanins during storage, showed high levels of phenolic compounds, ascorbic acid and antioxidant activity, which were maintained for nine days of cold storage. Due to the flavour characteristics and antioxidant compounds, it is recommended that camu-camu be harvested in the reddish-green maturation stage to extend its shelf life.

Development of a novel colorimetric food package label for monitoring lean pork freshness

The aim of this work was to develop an easy-to-use food package label for pork shelf-life assessment. Meat samples were packaged in polyethylene terephthalate trays with on-package indicator labels and kept at 5 °C for 8 days. These indicators contained three groups of pH-sensitive dyes, i.e., bromocresol purple, bromothymol blue, and a mixture of bromothymol blue and methyl red. Results of pH, total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N) contents, aerobic plate counts and sensory scores of pork differentiated between fresh (on 0–3 days), medium fresh (on 4–5 days), and spoiled lean pork (on 6–8 days). Results of total color difference and principal components analysis carried out with colorimetric data of different indicator labels showed that the indicator label made by a mixture of bromothymol blue and methyl red at 3:2 proportion (at an initial pH of 5.0) was able to discriminate fresh (red), medium fresh (goldenrod), and spoiled (green) pork in cold storage. The statistical models obtained by partial least squares, with the color change of label, successfully predicted TVB-N contents and aerobic plate counts of pork. These results suggest the potential feasibility of this particular indicator system for monitoring freshness of packaged pork via color change detected directly using the naked eye.

Embalagem alternativa para cadeia produtiva de morango

The objective of this work was to evaluate and select the most suitable films capable of increasing the post-harvest life of the strawberries (Fragaria x ananassa) maintaining quality, without economic alteration in the current productive chain. In the first test (EXP1) 9 different methods of packaging were tested: polyethylene terephthalate (PET) tray with perforated lid (Control) and the other were the PET tray coated with 8 different types of films. In the second experiment (EXP2), the best modalities selected in the EXP1, corresponding to the films chosen were those used for the conservation of strawberries of the Oso Grande cultivar. In EXP1, fruits packed in polypropylene (PP) films with 0.006 mm and D955 with 0.019 mm thickness presented the highest scores regarding the overall aspect, however strawberries packed with PP of 0.006 mm presented a high acetaldehyde and ethanol contents resulting in the presence of alcoholic odor. At EXP2, strawberries packed in D955 film 0.019 mm thickness and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) 0.020 mm presented good appearance until day 8, maintained quality and presented low occurrence of diseases when compared with the other films. The PVC 0.020 mm thickness proves to be an alternative for producers that already use this type of film with a lower thickness.

Uso de embalagem e da refrigeração no armazenamento de lichias “Bengal”

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of packaging and refrigeration on the storage of “Bengal” litchi. Different packaging types were selected: expanded polystyrene trays covered with polyvinyl chloride film (PVC) (T1), polyethylene terephthalate tray (PET) with lid (T2) and absence of packaging (T3). After the selection, the material was split into two lots, where one packaging group was stored at room temperature, 25 °C, for a period of six days and the other group was stored under refrigeration at 5 °C for a period of nine days. Chemical, physical and sensory evaluations were performed every two days (room temperature) and every three days (refrigerated storage), the chemical evaluations being: pH, titratable acidity (TA), soluble solids (SS), ascorbic acid content and SS/TA ratio; physical evaluations being: luminosity, chromaticity, hue angle and weight loss; and sensory evaluations being: appearance, purchase intention and consumer preference. PET packaging showed lower fresh weight loss for the fruits, in the temperatures tested throughout the experiment. PET and PVC packaging were efficient in preventing browning of fruits. The use of PET packaging and refrigeration in the storage of litchi provides better maintenance of the physical, chemical and sensory quality of fruits for up to 9 days.

Suitability of nectarine cultivars for minimal processing: The role of genotype, harvest season and maturity at harvest on quality and sensory attributes

Six cling-stone melting nectarine cultivars (‘Big Top’, ‘Luciana’, ‘Honey Royale’, ‘Nectareine’, ‘Big Nectared’ and ‘Nectalady’) were cut and dipped into an aqueous solution of 2% ascorbic acid, 1% citric acid and 1% calcium chloride before being stored in amorphous polyethylene terephthalate trays. Their suitability to be processed as fresh-cut product was then investigated on the basis of their initial quality, browning potential and sensory attributes as well as the changes in these parameters after processing. At harvest, two maturity stages were selected for each cultivar based on their index of absorbance difference. Nonetheless, no significant effect of maturity stage at harvest was observed for most of the physico-chemical and/or sensory parameters during storage. On the contrary, differences among cultivars were emphasized when comparing ethanol and acetaldehyde production, polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity, volatiles production, sensory profile, and consumer acceptance. ‘Honey Royale’ and ‘Nectalady’ wedges showed higher volatiles production, whereas ‘Big Nectared’ and ‘Luciana’ had a slightly lower browning index (BI). In the sensory evaluation, ‘Nectareine’ had the highest acceptability scores, whereas ‘Big Nectared’ had the lowest. The significant correlations between volatiles, sensory attributes and degree of liking observed in this study underline the importance of aroma in fresh-cut products.

Physicochemical characteristics of guava “Paluma” submitted to osmotic dehydration

The aim of this work was to evaluate the conservation post process osmotic of guava stored temperature at 5oC. Guava (Psidium guajava L.), red variety “Paluma” minimally processed by mild osmotic dehydration, were packaged in polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and stored temperature at 5ºC. Non-treated guava, packed in PET trays, was used as control. The treatment used was osmotic dehydration in sucrose syrup at 60ºBrix and physicochemical determinations were pH, total soluble solids (TSS), total titratable acidity (TTA), reducing sugars (RS), total sugars (TS) and parameters related to colour read (a*), chroma (c*), yellow (b*), luminosity (L*) of the fresh and osmotically dehydrated guava slices. The dehydrated fruits lost about 34.45% of water, concentrating contents of soluble solids, total and reducing sugars, when compared to control samples. The pH value remained around 3.76 for the OD fruits and 3.87 for the fresh fruits. The colour of the dehydrated fruits was more intense than the control samples’. The guava slices osmotic dehydration had 21 days of shelf life, showed physicochemical characteristics significantly superior to the control samples’, having a stable and high quality product as a result.

Effect of an active packaging with citrus extract on lipid oxidation and sensory quality of cooked turkey meat

An antioxidant active packaging was prepared by coating a citrus extract, consisting of a mixture of carboxylic acids and flavanones, on polyethylene terephthalate trays. The effect of the packaging in reducing lipid oxidation in cooked turkey meat and on meat pH, colour characteristics and sensorial parameters was investigated. An untrained sensory panel evaluated the odour, taste, tenderness, juiciness and overall acceptability of the meat, using triangle, paired preference and quantitative response scale tests. A comparison between the antioxidant effects of the different components of the extract was also carried out. The packaging led to a significant reduction in lipid oxidation. After 2days of refrigerated storage the sensory panel detected differences in odour and, after 4days, rated the meat stored in the active packaging higher for tenderness and overall acceptability. Citric acid appeared to be the most important component of the extract with regard to its antioxidant potency.

Experimental study of the tribocharging process of plastic granular materials on a vibratory feeder device

Triboelectrostatic separation of granular plastics wastes is a technology that is more and more employed in the recycling industry. The paper is aimed at characterizing the tribocharging of Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC), Polyamide (PA) and High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) granules on a vibratory feeder tray covered by a Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) sheet, in order to evaluate the possibility of using this device in a continuous tribo-electrostatic separation process. A capacitive probe was used to evaluate the surface charge density on the PET sheet. When the tray of the vibratory feeder was grounded, the charge density at the surface of the PET sheet was found to increase slightly after every tribocharging experiment, while the charge of PA granules saturated at 2.6 nC/g. In the case of an isolated PET sheet, its surface charge density is rapidly increasing and tends to saturate, limiting the charge/mass ratio of PA granules at 1.4 nC/g. Similar results were recorded for other tested materials, proving the efficiency of the tribocharging on the PET tray of the vibratory feeder.

Effect of Garlic Oil and Modified Atmosphere Packaging on the Quality of Chilled Shrimp

This research aimed to investigate the effect of essential oils extracted from garlic (Allium sativum L.) and modified atmospheric (MA) conditions on maintaining the quality of chilled Pacific white shrimps (Litopenaeus vannamei). Clean fresh shrimps (headless, shell-off and devein) were dipped into 15 mg/ml of garlic oil for 15 min. Approximately 100 g of shrimps with or without dipping into the garlic oil was placed on polyethylene terephthalate trays and packed under two MA conditions (modified atmosphere packaging 1: 40% CO2 + 60% N2 and modified atmosphere packaging 2: 60% CO2 + 40% N2) using nylon/PE pouches. The shrimps with or without dipping into the garlic oil packed under normal atmospheric condition using PE pouches were prepared as the control. The samples were then stored at 8°C ± 2°C for three weeks and taken every two times a week. Shrimp samples were subjected to physical, chemical and microbiological analysis as well as sensory evaluation. The results showed that either garlic oil or MA conditions had proven to help preserving the quality of chilled white shrimps because they slowed down both chemical degradation and microbial spoilage. The shrimps dipped in garlic oil and/or packed under MA conditions had lower pH, total volatile base nitrogen and trimethylamine values as well as total viable counts than the control sample. 60% CO2 + 40% N2 in combination of garlic oil helped prolonging the shelf life of the shrimps stored at 8°C ± 2°C from 6 to 18 days. Thus, applying both garlic oil and low O2 atmospheric conditions were more effective on maintaining shrimp quality than applying only garlic oil or MA conditions. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Carbon footprint analysis in plastics manufacturing

This paper describes an investigation of the carbon footprint associated with plastic trays, used as packaging for foodstuffs (e.g., mushrooms). In recent years there has been an increase in both consumer and legislative pressure on the packaging sector to reduce the environmental impact of its products, which are often only single use items. Using data from a plastics manufacturer, a cradle-to-grave study was conducted for trays produced from recycled polyethylene terephthalate, calculating their product carbon footprint and analysing how various parameters affect the carbon footprint. A model based on a spreadsheet analysis was developed, which allows the product carbon footprint to be determined using production batch data. It was found that the cradle-to-grave carbon footprint of 1 kg of recycled polyethylene terephthalate trays containing 85% recycled content was 1.538 kg CO2e. The raw material, manufacturing, secondary packaging, transport and end-of-life stages each contributed 45%, 38%, 5%, 3% and 9% of the total life cycle greenhouse gases respectively. The recycled content of raw material was found to have a significant effect on product carbon footprint: a 24% decrease in tray carbon footprint could be obtained by manufacturing trays from 100% recycled content, compared to the current recycled content level of 85%. A reduction in tray weight was found to give almost an equivalent proportionate reduction in carbon footprint, with 20% and 30% tray weight reductions resulting in product carbon footprint reductions of 18.7% and 28% respectively. Transport was found to only contribute a minor amount of the greenhouse gases (3%) and hence improving transport efficiency had very little effect on the carbon footprint. The effect of end-of-life treatment was also found to be relatively small. The worst case scenario of no recycling taking place in the end-of-life stage results in the carbon footprint of the trays increasing by 2.7%, while increasing the recycling rate from 23.7% to 32% and 50%, results in the carbon footprint decreasing by 1% and 3% respectively. In both the extrusion and thermoforming processes, the specific manufacturing carbon footprints arising from consumption of electricity, chilled water energy and compressed air were found to decrease logarithmically with production speed. The greatest reductions in the carbon footprint of recycled polyethylene terephthalate trays can be achieved in the raw material and manufacturing life cycle stages. The proportion of recycled raw material should be maximised while extrusion and thermoforming process speeds should be optimised as significant manufacturing energy reductions can be attained when the speeds of both processes are increased. Tray light-weighting should be implemented to as great an extent as possible without compromising tray structural integrity while high recycling rates in the end-of-life stage should continue to be targeted.

EFFECT OF PACKAGING ON POSTHARVEST DISEASE DEVELOPMENT AND QUALITY OF GAMMA IRRADIATED LITCHI FRUITS

The effect of packaging on the quality and fruit rot development of gamma irradiated 'Chakkaphat' litchi fruits was investigated. Harvested litchi fruits were cleaned with a cooled solution of 100 ppm sodium hypochlorite at 10°C and then packed in nylon net bags (control), PET (Polyethylene terephthalate) trays covered with Active bags (Equilibrium Modified Atmosphere film), or PET trays wrapped with PVC film. Packages were placed in export cartons, and the cartons containing different types of packages were then separated into two groups for irradiating with gamma rays at 400+/-10% Gy and for non-gamma irradiation. Irradiated and non-irradiated litchi fruits in the different packages were then kept at 4°C for 28 days. The experiment was designed and analyzed as a factorial complete randomized design. The results showed that the most suitable package for gamma irradiated litchi fruits was the PET tray covered with Active bag as it significantly delayed postharvest disease development, and reduced the browning index, weight loss, the activity of polyphenol oxidase, and also maintained anthocyanin content in the pericarp when compared with packing in nylon net bags. Gamma irradiation resulted in the induction of peel browning but it did not influence the severity of fruit rot disease. However, ascorbic acid content, titratable acid, total soluble solids, total phenolic compounds, and the phenylammonialyase (PAL) activities were not significantly different among all treatments. This result implied that the PET tray covered with Active bag (EMA film) was the best container for delaying fruit rot disease and maintaining the quality of gamma irradiated litchi fruits.

Effects of antibrowning solution and chitosan-based edible coating on the quality of fresh-cut apple

Fresh-cut apples were treated with an antibrowning solution and with a chitosan-based edible coating associated to antibrowning agents and the effects on the deterioration at low temperature were studied. The combined effect of ascorbic acid (AA), citric acid (CA) and chitosan was also evaluated. Control, coated and uncoated apples were packed in polyethylene terephthalate trays and the changes in headspace atmosphere, colour, firmness and microbial growth measured along ten days of storage at 5°C. The samples coated with 1% AA + 2% CA + chitosan maintained a good colouration until day 6, similar to those treated with 1% AA + 2% CA without chitosan. Afterwards, the fruits became darker and similar to the control. A slight reduction in the rates of CO2 production was observed in all samples. Ethylene increased continuously during storage although gas production was extremely low. Texture did not change for all treatments; showing values around 9.0 to 10.0 N. Growth of Salmonella, and total and fecal coliforms were not detected. The chitosan coating treatment was the most effective in inhibiting growth of moulds and yeasts, with count of 1.7 CFU g–1. Chitosan coating could be an alternative for preserving quality of fresh-cut ‘Gala’ apples. Results from this study suggest that.

포장재질에 따른 열처리한 연근의 저장 중 품질변화

This study was investigated the changes in quality of heat treated fresh-cut lotus roots using various packaging materials. Lotus roots were purchased from Daegu, Korea. Lotus roots were washed, peeled and sliced with a sharp ceramic knife. The prepared peeled and sliced lotus roots were dipped for 45 sec in water at . After air-dried at room temperature, the slices were packaged with polyethylene films, polyethylene terephthalate tray+wrapping, vacuum packaging and then stored at . Changes in weight loss, color, firmness, microorganisms and sensory characteristics were measured. In general, the weight loss rate was increased slightly in vacuum packaged lotus roots. Application of heat treatment delayed browning of lotus roots, and especially vacuum packaged lotus roots were the most lowest value. However, L and value of PE film packaged lotus roots were increased highly during storage. The heat treated and vacuum packaging inhibited the growth of microorganisms effectively. The organoleptic quality of vacuum packaged lotus roots showed the best by sensory evaluation.