ISHS Acta Horticulturae 674: III International Symposium on Applications of Modelling as an Innovative Technology in the Agri-Food Chain; MODEL-IT
TEST OF A RESPIRATION MODEL FOR A CELERY PLANTS MODIFIED ATMOSPHERE PACKAGING SYSTEM AT COMMERCIAL PALLET SCALE |
| Authors: | V.H. Escalona, F. Ortega, F. Artés-Hernández, E. Aguayo, F. Artés |
| Keywords: | Packaging design, silicone membrane, controlled atmosphere, decay |
| Abstract:
For shipping celery to far markets modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) at pallet scale by using a silicone membrane system could be developed. The design of a model package for pallets of 450 kg of celery was studied. Celery were placed within model packages designed by us, made with an impermeable film with 0.2 and 0.3 dm2/kg of silicone membrane window, in order to reach a suitable atmosphere of about 3 – 4 kPa O2 and 7 – 8 kPa CO2. According to our previous experiments in bell pepper two kind of silicone membrane windows were chosen. Permeability ranges to O2 and CO2 of the membranes were 4,500 – 5,250 mL O2 dm-2 d-1 and 10,125 – 14,000 mL CO2 dm-2 d-1. The storage conditions were 21 days under MAP at 5 °C and 95% RH, followed by a shelf life in air of 2 days at 15°C and 70 kPa RH. As control partially unsealed packages (air atmosphere and 95% RH) were used. After cold storage and shelf life decay and visual appearance were monitored. Throughout 20 days at 0 and 5°C in air or in 5 kPa O2 and 5 kPa CO2 atmospheres the respiration rate of the celery was monitored. The gas composition considered suitable was almost reached using the membrane with higher gas permeability at 5°C. Nevertheless at 5°C celery plants under the assayed MAP storage showed slightly better quality and lower decay than control. | |
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