Effects of active packaging and storage temperature on shelf life of cherry tomatoes and cucumbers

Keywords: Active packaging, ethylene scavengers, cherry tomato, cucumber, storage temperature The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of active packaging (ethylene scavenging sytems) and storage temperature on the shelf life of cherry tomatoes and cucumbers. The cherry tomatoes were packaged with ethylene absorber incorporated LDPE and control LDPE under passive modified atmosphere (MAP) and stored at 4ºC and 10ºC for 32 days. The cucumbers were also packaged with same packaging materials under active MAP (5% O2 - 10% CO2 - 85% N2) and stored at 4ºC and 10ºC for 20 days. Unpackaged products were the control groups for both tomatoes and cucumbers. During storage, mass loss, physical analysis (color and texture), chemical analysis (brix, pH, titratable acidity) and sensory evaluation were performed. For packaged products, headspace gas analysis, ethylene and lycopene (only for tomatoes) concentrations were determined. Headspace oxygen content decreased below 2% at the end of the storage for tomatoes stored at 10ºC, Ethylene absorber containing packages were the best group providing equilibrium atmosphere with 6.5% O2 at 4ºC. The minimum ethylene concentration was determined in packages with ethylene absorbers at 4ºC. No significant effect of storage time was observed on the physical properties of this group. None of the treatment was acceptable on 32 days of storage except the tomatoes packaged with LDPE containing ethylene absorber at 4ºC. In conclusion, the shelf life of the cherry tomatoes packaged LDPE packages including ethylene absorbers was suggested as at least 32 days at 4ºC. The equilibrium atmosphere was not reached for cucumbers stored at 4ºC, and the O2% content decreased below critical level of 2% possibly due to chilling injury. The high level of ethylene concentration in the control LDPE packages negatively affected the product properties at 10ºC, however, lower ethylene concentration and less chiling injury provided better storage conditions for cucumbers packaged with ethylene absorbers at 10ºC. At the end of the storage, only application acceptable by the sensory panelists was the products packaged with ethylene absorbers at 10ºC. In conclusion, the shelf life of the cucumbers packaged with ethylene absorbers was suggested as at least 20 days at 10ºC.