Passive modified atmospheric packaging of minimally processed bitter gourd

Abstract

The consumer demands for fresh-like quality and convenience have given rise to minimally processing. Hence a study was taken up to increase the shelf life of fresh cut bitter gourd by passive modified atmospheric packaging. The fresh-cut was packaged using LDPE pouches with a thickness of 100 µ due to their less permeability to oxygen and stored at 30±2°C and 8±2°C temperature. The respiration rate was decreased to 30 % by storing at lower temperature. The changes in the quality parameters such as physiological loss in weight (4.2 %), colour value ‘a’ (-7.56), chlorophyll content (17.46 mg/100g), ascorbic acid (63.88 mg/100g) and titratable acidity (0.78 %) was observed at 8 ±2°C. The shelf life of fresh-cut bitter gourd by passive modified atmospheric packaging was extended up to 12 days at 8 ±2°C based on their acceptable limit of bacterial (4.56 × 105 cfu/g) and fungal (3.28 × 103) cfu/g growth.