Purple Pride Research Articles

Evaluation of a Ceramic-impregnated Plastic Film as a Postharvest Wrap

Abstract Broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. Italica) and Geraldton wax flower (Chamelaucium uncinatum cv. Purple Pride), two ethylene-sensitive commodities (1, 2), were used in a postharvest evaluation of a novel plastic film (BO film) claimed to sorb ethylene. BO film (Odja Shoji Co., Ltd.) is low density polyethylene (LDPE) extruded with a finely divided ceramic (crystburite). The BO film was compared with a conventional high density polyethylene film (HDPE). The 15-µm HDPE film had water vapor, O2 and CO2 transmission characteristics of 3.3 g·m−2, 4500 cm3·m−2, and 15,000 cm3·m−2 per 24 hr at 25° C (D. Jesaveluk, personal communication). Permeability values for the 50-µm BO film were not available; however, constituent 50-µm LDPE film has transmission characteristics of 2 g·m−2, 2100 cm3·m−2 and 6700 cm3·m−2 per 24 hr, respectively. Satchels of coarsely ground ceramic (Cerasutora A, ≈38g) were also tested for their ability to preserve postharvest quality.